Oregon election deadline nears; Tuesday is the day

Oregonians have the opportunity to choose half the board members governing the state’s school districts and community colleges by Tuesday, and many voters also will decide local money measures and other local leadership positions.

Voters who haven’t yet cast their ballots have two options: Return a completed ballot to an official drop box or mail it, ensuring it gets postmarked by Tuesday. Ballots don’t require a stamp.

You can locate the drop boxes nearest you by going to the Oregon Secretary of State’s web page.

Many parts of Oregon have heated school board races underway, including Canby, Springfield, Newberg, North Clackamas, Crook County and Hillsboro.

In the Portland area, high profile contests include a push for a capital gains tax to fund lawyers for tenants facing eviction and a race between community organizer Ana del Rocío and recently retired Nike executive Julia Brim-Edwards for a seat on the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners.

Voters will also decide whether to renew numerous local property tax levies, including two to underwrite teacher salaries and other expenses in Lake Oswego and Sherwood schools; a Multnomah County children’s levy to pay for child abuse prevention, summer programs and the like; and five to fund Clackamas County fire districts.

You can read detailed coverage of many school board races and other key contests on OregonLive.

Voter turnout in May of odd-numbered years tends to be low. In 2021, for instance, only 25% of Multnomah County voters cast ballots.

This year, as of Friday, just 12% of Washington County voters, 17% of Clackamas County voters and 12% of Multnomah voters had gotten their ballots to the county elections office.

–Betsy Hammond; betsyhammond@oregonian.com;@OregonPolEds