Support Smart, Local Journalism
Make a Small Monthly Donation

Give now

Election
Posted inNews

Candidate For Oregon Governor Wanted Mail-In Voting Overturned. Now She’s Using It to Boost Her Campaign.

Christine Drazan’s campaign will utilize volunteer couriers to pick up and drop off completed ballots for voters. The campaign tool has traditionally been eschewed by Republicans.
Avatar photo by Courtney Vaughn

Despite her own legislative efforts for more stringent requirements to cast a ballot in Oregon, Christine Drazan’s campaign is utilizing the state’s current vote-by-mail system to potentially boost her chances of winning.  Despite her previous efforts to nix Oregon’s vote-by-mail system, Senator Drazan’s gubernatorial campaign staffers say they intend to operate as an unofficial ballot […]

Posted inNews

Effort to Send Climate Dollars to Cops Won’t Qualify For November Ballot

Petitioners threaten legal action after ballot initiative to use Portland Clean Energy Funds for hiring more police failed to garner enough legally valid signatures.
Avatar photoAvatar photo by Courtney Vaughn and Jeremiah Hayden

A ballot initiative that sought to direct 25 percent of Portland’s Clean Energy Fund toward hiring additional police officers failed to gather enough valid signatures to qualify for the November ballot. The Portland City Auditor’s Office, which houses Portland’s Elections Division, confirmed Tuesday afternoon that after sampling and verification, the number of qualified signatures for […]

Posted inNews

‘Safer Portland’ Campaign Faces New Complaints As Elections Officials Work to Certify Measure For November Ballot

The city and state are awash in complaints over an initiative to use climate funds to hire more police. What happens next?
Avatar photoAvatar photoAvatar photo by Jeremiah Hayden, Courtney Vaughn and Taylor Griggs

Updated: 5:15 pm July 9 The campaign for a ballot initiative seeking to redirect clean energy funds to the Portland Police Bureau announced Monday it had submitted enough signatures to the city to qualify for the November ballot. The next day, the Portland Auditor’s Office and Oregon Secretary of State received lengthy new complaints alleging […]

Posted inNews

The Mercury’s 2026 Primary Election Night Update and Recap!

Find out who won, who lost, and who’s still biting their nails as ballots continue to be counted.
Avatar photo by The Mercury Election Strike Force

Another May primary has come and gone—though ballot counting continues, and while there were clear winners and losers, we may not have the results of certain tight races until days from now. In the meantime? Let’s recap Tuesday night’s ballot drop with a quick rundown of what happened, along with all the stats you political […]

Posted inElection

The Mercury’s May 2026 Election Endorsements

Grab a pen and your ballot, and let’s get to voting!
Avatar photo by The Mercury Election Strike Force

This year’s primary election on May 19, 2026 will see voters choose Democratic and Republican nominees for governor, state legislative seats, and Congress. Ballots will also include several Multnomah County judicial races, a few Metro Council seats, a labor commissioner, and local revenue measures. Helpful hint: If your ballot is missing any of the above […]

Posted inElection

Your Mercury May Election Cheat Sheet!

Cast your vote lickety-split with our quick ‘n’ easy ballot roadmap.
Avatar photo by The Mercury Election Strike Force

The Mercury does not endorse in uncontested races. See our full endorsements here. Election day is May 19, and mailed ballots must be postmarked no later than May 19 in order to be counted.  (Ballot box drop off locations here.) Oregon Governor No endorsement Oregon State Senate District 17: Lisa Reynolds Oregon House of Representatives Oregon […]

Posted inNews

Portlanders Say “Yes” to Parks Levy in Early Special Election Results

The levy would help fund Portland Parks & Recreation services. If not approved, the bureau would face a major budget shortfall.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Early results show Portlanders voted to approve a new levy to help fund the city’s parks services. As of 10 pm on November 4, almost 54 percent of Portland voters said “yes” to Measure 26-260, which would set up a new parks levy to be in place for five years. County data show roughly 29.7 […]

Posted inElection

Mercury Endorsement: Vote Yes on the Portland Parks Levy

Portland parks are on the ballot in this November’s special election. 
Avatar photo The Mercury Election Strike Force

Portland voters only have one decision to make in this November’s special election and it should be a relatively easy one. But that doesn’t mean this year’s special election for a new Portland parks levy is without complexity. We’ll get to those nuances, but first, let’s be clear: the Mercury recommends voting “yes” on the […]

Posted inNews

Updated May 2025 Special Election Results: Portland School Bond Finds Victory With Voters

After a surge of ballots received on Election Day, Multnomah County reports 25 percent voter turnout as of Thursday.
Avatar photo The Mercury Election Strike Force

Updated 11:30 am Thursday, May 22 Multnomah County voters chose new school board leaders and decided the fate of a massive bond for Portland Public Schools on Tuesday. The May 20 special district election primarily included school districts, with a few service and utility district elections peppered in, for some county residents. By Thursday morning, […]

Posted inElection

The Mercury’s May 2025 Election Endorsements

Our top picks for the May 20 Special District Election, featuring school board seats, public school bonds, and more! 
Avatar photo The Mercury Election Strike Force

This story has been updated with additional information since it first published. On May 20, Multnomah County residents will elect new leadership on local school boards and utility boards. Portland voters will also decide whether to approve a sizable school bond measure to fund Portland Public Schools. We picked the brains of local school board […]

Posted inNews

It’s the Mercury’s 2024 General Election Night Live Blog!

All the parties, all the results, and all the election night DRAMAZ!
Avatar photo The Mercury Election Strike Force

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Good evening, fellow fingernail chewers! It’s ELECTION NIGHT in America and here in Portland, and as always the Mercury Election Strike Force is on the job and ready to give you the information you crave! Stick with us this evening as we report the local/national results you want, while also visiting various candidate […]

Gift this article