Oregon
Bill that would require Oregon county election clerks to livestream voting processes sparks concerns
A proposed bill that would require every Oregon county election office to livestream its vote tabulation processes could improve trust in the state’s elections, its proponents say.
But officials who’d have to implement the bill, which was introduced by a Republican senator, say it would be costly and logistically difficult.
Senate Bill 1054 would require each of Oregon’s 36 county clerks to livestream footage of the rooms in which ballots are counted and from ballot drop sites during election seasons. It would also require those officials to store those recordings for two years.
Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham of The Dalles, chief sponsor of the bill, asserted Monday that requiring those recordings would improve elections transparency and voter trust.
“My bills are designed to combat some of the narrative that exists about election integrity,” Bonham told his fellow members of the Senate Rules Committee during a public hearing on the bill. “And what I would love to do is just shore up these things that people are questioning.”
The bill provides no specific requirements for the placement of livestream cameras, besides stating that any video camera could not be placed in a position to reveal personal details on ballots.
A few county elections offices currently livestream their vote counting process. During the 2024 election, for example, the Tillamook County Clerk’s office livestreamed footage from several rooms in which ballots were being collected, verified and sorted through vote-tabulation machines.
Bonham said requiring similar, more expansive recordings from all county clerks would “give people a window into the room to see this process in an open and transparent way.”
But election officials say the one-page bill fails to address several key details of implementing such a measure. One primary concern, they say, is that the bill does not allocate any more funding to county clerks, many of whom have previously reported inadequate funding and staffing levels.
In written testimony, the Oregon Association of County Clerks also contends that the bill raises security concerns for employees who pick up ballots from drop sites and office workers who would be recorded. The clerks also said they are concerned about the footage being manipulated through artificial intelligence video software.
“We would like to work with the proponents to help make this idea more cost effective, ensure proper security measures are in place and make this concept implementable,” wrote Tess Milio, lobbyist for the county clerks association.
Secretary of State Tobias Read, a Democrat who entered office in January, told The Oregonian/OregonLive he shares the county clerks’ concerns. As secretary of state, Read oversees state elections.
“I’m always interested in ways to make our elections better, but I’m concerned that this bill would be yet another unfunded mandate for our county clerks, who are already stretching every penny to run Oregon’s secure, fair elections,” Read said in a statement. “While well-intentioned, this legislation needs work before it’s ready for prime time.”
Bonham acknowledged the clerks’ concerns and said the bill’s details would have to be sorted out later. “Valid concerns, totally get it,” he said. “And yet I think the one thing that we all hold sacred is the integrity of our elections. We want to affirm to people that their vote matters, that the process is not in any way being manipulated, their votes not being marginalized or ignored. And so anything that we can do to enhance that transparency to the voter I think is important.”
The bill does not appear likely to advance. Only Bonham and Republican Sen. David Brock Smith of Port Orford have sponsored the proposal. And key Democrats, including Senate President Rob Wagner of Lake Oswego and Senate Majority Leader Kayse Jama of Portland, have shown no indication that they would support the bill. Jama, who chairs the Senate Rules Committee, concluded Monday that the public hearing was a “really good discussion.”
Sen. Jeff Golden, a Democrat from Ashland and member of the Rules Committee, said he feels ambivalent about the proposal.
If finding low-cost, efficient ways to implement the proposal could increase Oregonians’ trust in elections, “I would say why not? Maybe it can increase some confidence.” Golden said.
“At the same time,” he said, “I’m really not comfortable with the number of bills around the country that are being introduced on the premise, either explicit or not, that our elections don’t have integrity.”
— Carlos Fuentes covers state politics and government. Reach him at 503-221-5386 or cfuentes@oregonian.com.
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Watch video of high seas rescue off Oregon coast
A cruise ship, the Silver Whisper, rescued a Canadian man whose vessel broke down nearly 500 miles off the Oregon coast May 26.
A cruise ship rescued a Canadian man stranded on his boat nearly 500 miles of the Oregon coast on May 26, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The 74-year-old man, who the agency did not name, was sailing from Hawaii to British Columbia when his vessel ran into gale-force winds and 30-foot high waves. The 29-foot boat’s engine failed and the mast broke, injuring the man’s shoulder.
He’s made the same trip four times before, Coast Guard officials said, and had food, water, a life raft and a life jacket on board. The mariner used his handheld satellite communicator to contact the U.S. Coast Guard’s Northwest District, which the agency used to track him.
He was rescued 489 miles off the coast of Tillamook.
“This mariner’s experience and preparedness allowed the Coast Guard and other agencies to communicate with him and effect a rescue,” Coast Guard Northwest District Search and Rescue Program Manager Scott Giard said. “His foresight to bring a satellite communicator averted a tragedy.
Coast Guard officials deployed a C-27J cargo plane from Sacramento, California, to function as their “eye in the sky” as they coordinated the rescue because he was so far from the shore.
The plane assessed the state of the sea and the damage to the vessel. It was also equipped with life rafts, communication gear and rations that could sustain a survivor while responders coordinate the rescue, officials said.
Coast Guard officials contacted a cruise ship, the Silver Whisper, that went 120 off its charted course to rescue the stranded Canadian man. The Coast Guard found the Silver Whisper by tapping into its Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue system, a global network that tracks the positions of commercial ships that participate in the program.
Eder Campuzano is the local news editor for the Statesman Journal. He can can be reached at ecampuzano@statesmanjournal.com. Find him on Bluesky at @ederc.bsky.social or Threads @ederc.
The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 29, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 29 drawing
19-24-47-59-65, Mega Ball: 07
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 29 drawing
1PM: 6-7-9-9
4PM: 4-3-8-0
7PM: 1-2-5-0
10PM: 3-9-9-3
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
- Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.
SALEM, Ore. (KATU) — Oregon’s childhood vaccination rates have fallen to their lowest levels on record, while the number of parents claiming nonmedical vaccine exemptions continues to climb, according to newly released data from the Oregon Health Authority.
The agency reported on Thursday that 85.6% of Oregon kindergarteners were up to date on required vaccines during the 2025-26 school year.
At the same time, the nonmedical exemption rate reached a record high of 10.9%.
State health officials say the trend is raising concerns about the potential for outbreaks of highly contagious diseases, including measles and whooping cough.
“Although the vast majority of families in Oregon are still choosing to protect families through vaccination, the downward trends are deeply concerning,” said Dr. Howard Chiou, medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at OHA. “We risk seeing the return of diseases such as measles and polio—diseases of the past that once caused widespread harm but are entirely preventable with vaccines.”
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The statewide numbers tell only part of the story.
According to OHA, more than one in three Oregon schools with at least 10 students have measles vaccination rates below 95%, the threshold public health officials say is needed to help prevent outbreaks through community immunity.
Chiou said those exemption rates, combined with lower vaccination coverage at some schools, are increasing the risk of disease outbreaks.
The concerns come as Oregon and the nation are seeing increases in vaccine-preventable diseases.
OHA says the nonmedical exemption rate for the second dose of the measles vaccine has nearly doubled over the past decade, rising from 4.9% to 9.4%.
The state also recorded 1,475 cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, in 2025, the highest total in 75 years.
What could happen if the trend continues?
Dr. Alanna Braun, a pediatrician at OHSU, said declining vaccination rates increase the likelihood of disease outbreaks.
“The thing that really stands out to me the most is just sort of the trend of just ongoing decreased immunization rates across our state and seeing how many schools here in Oregon are now at risk for major outbreaks of some really serious illnesses,” said Braun.
Braun said communities become more vulnerable when vaccination rates fall below the level needed to prevent the spread of disease.
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She noted that outbreaks can affect more than just unvaccinated students.
“A lot of kids have infant siblings at home who are not able to be vaccinated,” Braun said. “Certainly, there are kids in all of these schools who are unable to be vaccinated, kids who are undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. There are teachers who are immunocompromised for various reasons.”
Braun said the long-term outlook is concerning if vaccination rates continue to fall.
“As we’re seeing reduced rates of immunizations, I think it’s more and more likely that we are gonna see some of these preventable illnesses with more frequency,” she said.
What parents can do
OHA is encouraging parents to check vaccination rates at their child’s school and talk with their healthcare provider if they have questions about vaccines.
“We want to empower families to make informed decisions,” said Chiou. “We want parents to revisit and reconsider their decisions because the situation in Oregon has changed.”
Parents can view vaccination and exemption rates for individual schools using OHA’s School Immunization Data Dashboard.
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