Top Oregon election official blasts lack of ‘urgency’ in Clackamas County vote counting

As election outcomes poured in from round Oregon Tuesday evening, nothing arrived from one of many state’s most populous counties.

Clackamas County reported earlier this month it discovered issues with printed ballots despatched to voters, and elections leaders warned they might considerably decelerate the counting course of and public reporting of unofficial vote totals. On Election Night time, with candidates claiming victory and others conceding defeat, uncertainty hung over some races with out vote totals from Clackamas.

The dearth of outcomes was alarming to Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, the supervisor of elections in Oregon and a resident of Clackamas County.

“I’m deeply involved in regards to the delay in reporting from Clackamas County Elections,” Fagan stated in a press release launched late Tuesday. “Whereas I’m assured that the method they’re following is safe, clear and the outcomes will probably be correct, the county’s reporting delays tonight are unacceptable. Voters have performed their jobs, and now it’s time for Clackamas County Elections to do theirs.”

Clackamas County elections officers didn’t remark publicly Tuesday evening on the dearth of vote tallies. County Clerk Sherry Corridor mentioned the issues at a Might 12 Board of County Commissioners assembly after Chair Tootie Smith issued a press release saying she was “aghast” on the poll issues.

An official with the Oregon Secretary of State’s workplace informed OPB Tuesday evening that they had been informed Clackamas outcomes would start to be posted early Wednesday. Fagan stated she was “disillusioned” at not seeing “extra urgency” from Clackamas County, and stated state elections officers had been prepared to assist.

“In latest days, my workplace and different counties have supplied further personnel to assist with well timed reporting. We eagerly await a response from county elections officers on how we are able to assist within the well timed processing of outcomes,” Fagan stated.

The dearth of outcomes from Clackamas County wasn’t the one trigger for uncertainty at this week’s election. That is the primary main election in Oregon since ballots may very well be accepted primarily based on an Election Day postmark. That rule change means ballots obtained over the following few days may nonetheless rely towards races within the Might main.

Among the many races by which the Clackamas delays precipitated uncertainty had been the Republican main for governor and the Democratic main for the fifth Congressional District. Candidates who had been forward in early returns in these races opted to not declare victory in case the numbers from Clackamas County modified the outcomes dramatically.