It's primary election day, Oregon! That means it's almost time for your trusty Mercury news team to kick off its minute-by-minute coverage of election night watch parties, absurd campaign drama, and... RESULTS!
What—did you think that, just because there's a global pandemic and we've forgotten the meaning of time, we were going to deny you an election night liveblog? Please.
This year's election coverage is going to be a little different than usual, thanks to Oregon's stay-at-home order axing the idea of an in-person election night celebration (can you imagine Knute Buehler's buffet tables full of popcorn bowls at a time like this??). But, just like candidates' outsized reliance on text message spam this election cycle, campaigns are getting creative. Many candidates have moved their election night parties online, offering supporters a chance to tune in via Zoom or Facebook for live updates and champagne popping.
To keep you up to speed on what's guaranteed to be an unusual night, we'll be dropping in on some of those virtual soirees, chatting with candidates, and tracking the state and local election results as they roll in starting at 8 pm.
We'll be sharing all our updates and observations in one easy-to-follow blog post, that we'll make live at 7:30 pm.
This year's primary election is especially packed—and equally juicy—meaning it's even more important for you to tune in. It's also an excellent chance to rub Oregon's seamless vote-by-mail system in everyone's faces. If you haven't voted yet, SHAME ON YOU but also YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE! Get your act together, fill in those bubbles, and toss your ballot into an official ballot box by 8 pm.
Still stumped on who to vote for? Here's who we at the Mercury choose to endorse, and why.
Meet us back at Blogtown at 7:30 this evening for some riveting election night coverage! You won't regret it! It's your goddamn civic duty! (Also, let's be honest: What else do you have going on?)