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A typical American voter waits for the USPS to pick up their mail-in ballot in Arizona. John Moore / Getty images

Good morning, Portland! We're just two days away from Halloween—and while the Oregon Health Authority is warning against most in-person celebrations, you can still get spooked out with the Mercury. You can stream our new amateur horror film fest, SLAY, or attend a drive-in screening at Oaks Park.

Here are the headlines.

• After a surprisingly riveting six-hour Portland City Council meeting that saw public comment from hundreds of Portlanders, the council decided to wait on a vote on some fall budget amendments—including, most notably, a potential $18 million cut from the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). That amendment was introduced by Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, and supported by Commissioner Chloe Eudaly. Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Amanda Fritz will likely vote against it, making new Commissioner Dan Ryan the mysterious swing vote. If you missed that meeting, you can get some of the highlights from our own Alex Zielinski's marathon thread, if that's your kind of thing. It starts here:

I'm tuning in to Portland City Council's hearing on proposed amendments to the Fall "Budget Monitoring Process" or "Fall BuMP"—an opportunity to adjust the annual budget approved in June.

— Alex Zielinski (@alex_zee) October 28, 2020

• One vote Portland City Council did hold yesterday: A resolution that will restrict the 56 PPB officers who were federally deputized last month. The resolution requires those officers to only enforce local and state laws, and to not take direction from federal agents when policing protests.

We need your help. The economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis is threatening our ability to keep producing the quality reporting you've come to love. If you’re able, please consider making a monthly contribution to the Mercury.

Joe Biden is holding his lead over Trump in two critical battleground states. Scott Eisen / Getty News

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! I got a river for a soul, and baby, you're a boat. Baby, you're my only reason. LET'S GO TO PRESS.

• A large group of protesters gathered in front of the downtown Justice Center last night to hold a vigil in memory of Walter Wallace Jr., a Black man who was killed by Philadelphia police on Monday. Wallace was reportedly in a state of mental duress and after refusing to drop a knife, he was shot more than a dozen times by police. (For those asking "when will these protests end?", that's a question that can be answered by the police.)

Protesters talked with Portland city commissioner Dan Ryan for an hour last night on his front lawn.

Ryan is a key swing vote in a plan to cut the Portland police budget by $18 million. https://t.co/yROAEtYHio

— Ryan Haas (@ryanjhaas) October 28, 2020

• Due to the spike in Oregon's COVID cases, Gov. Kate Brown has extended the state of emergency for another 60 days until January 2, 2021.

• Thanks to Trump, public trust in any potential COVID-19 vaccine is very low, which is why Oregon is teaming up with California, Washington, and Nevada to form a panel of experts to independently vet any coronavirus vaccine before it's distributed to the public.

Obama on the campaign trail for Biden, and absolutely ROASTING Trump. Octavio Jones / Getty Images

Here's your daily roundup of all the latest local and national news. (Like our coverage? Please consider making a recurring contribution to the Mercury to keep it comin'!)

• Due to the spike in Oregon's COVID cases, Gov. Kate Brown has extended the state of emergency for another 60 days until January 2, 2021.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown extended the pandemic-related state of emergency as infections rise state- and nationwide. https://t.co/s8CS1gVVGR

— OPB (@OPB) October 27, 2020

• The good news: The city opened up the application process for getting cash assistance in the form of $500 debit cards to Portlanders hit hardest by the COVID pandemic. The bad news: The application portal was only open for 5 minutes, because the city had already collected more than 1,400 applications and had to close submissions. Our Alex Zielinski has the story and interviews with desperate applicants.

• VOTING PRO TIP: Today is the last day to mail in your ballots in Oregon, so from now until November 3, drop yours in the local ballot box. Our Blair Stenvick has lots more voting advice you need to know!

Multnomah county

Now, Election Day is just one week away, and we all have a responsibility to ensure our votes are counted. If you’re a voter in the Portland area, here’s what you need to know in the week leading up to Election Day.

We need your help. The economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis is threatening our ability to keep producing the quality reporting you've come to love. If you’re able, please consider making a monthly contribution to the Mercury.

Two BFFs plotting the decimation of abortion rights. Tasos Katopodis / Getty images

Okay, here are the headlines.

• In all seriousness, Comey Barrett's confirmation creates a 6-3 conservative majority on the Court, and spells bad news for a lot of rights that both progressives and middle-of-the-road folks hold dear. That includes the Affordable Care Act, abortion rights, and LGBTQ+ rights, among others.

• 🚨⚠️🗳️

Tuesday, Oct. 27 (TODAY) is the last day to safely mail your ballot for the Nov. 3, 2020 General Election. After today, you must return your ballot to an Official Ballot Drop Site to ensure it is received by @MultCoElections on time. Drop sites here: https://t.co/OgQqJrYbmM pic.twitter.com/CrDxHKf57E
— Multnomah County, OR (@multco) October 27, 2020

• PSSST: If you still haven't voted yet, you might find our endorsements helpful!