By BRYCE DOYLE/Oregon Public Broadcasting
Nearly half of county clerks in Oregon are raising concerns over a ballot measure that would establish ranked-choice voting for state and federal elections, saying their offices cannot support the measure as it’s currently drafted.
Sixteen county clerks have endorsed a newly-formed political action committee called “Concerned Election Officials,” according to Klamath County Clerk Rochelle Long, the committee’s director. The clerks who have endorsed the committee so far are from Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Douglas, Harney, Jackson, Josephine, Linn, Malheur, Morrow, Polk, Union, Wallowa, Wasco and Yamhill counties, according to Long.
The committee’s filing with the Oregon Secretary of State says it formally opposes Measure 117, which would give Oregonians the option to rank in primary and general elections their preferred candidate running for statewide and federal offices.
But Long specified that the group’s intent is not to urge Oregonians to vote one way or another on Measure 117. Rather, it’s to explain the measure to residents statewide, and why some clerks say it may not be feasible.
“We feel like election reform is really impactful,” Long said. “And the facts need to be out there and not just from advocates. It needs to come from people who actually do the job, too.”
If passed, ranked-choice voting would allow voters to list their first choice for an elected position on a ballot, followed by other candidates ranked in order of preference. A candidate wins if they receive more than half of the first-choice votes. If that doesn’t happen, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and the ballots cast for that candidate go to voters’ second choice. The process continues until a candidate earns more than 50% of the vote and wins.
Voters can also go the traditional route by choosing one candidate and not rank the others.
Clerks fear ballot confusion
Most of the clerks who have endorsed the committee are from rural central, eastern and southern Oregon, Long said. They also come from half of Oregon’s 10 most populous counties.
Long says she and other clerks are concerned about how the state will fund the staff necessary to implement the measure, adding that clerks’ offices are already “severely understaffed.” She estimates it would cost millions of dollars in staff, software, maintenance and printing costs.
Measure 117 would not affect state legislative elections. Long said not having state Senate and House candidates on ranked-choice ballots “lacks uniformity” and may confuse voters.
Long also voiced concerns about how the votes would be tallied. Currently, county clerks provide the final tally of votes for all races and then send the ballots to the state. Ranked-choice ballots, however, would be counted by clerks and reported to the state, which would then provide the final tally for state and federal elections.
“We receive a lot of complaints about it taking so long to get results,” Long said of the current system. “This will delay results further. And we feel like we’re going to get complaints on transparency because we aren’t the final tally that goes forward.”
Advocates tout meaningful choices
In the 2023 legislative session, lawmakers passed a bill sending Measure 117 to voters.
Proponents consider ranked-choice voting an antidote to political polarization, encouraging engagement among voters and improving perceptions of the process at a time when many Americans feel dismayed over the nation’s politics. They say it improves the likelihood of candidates being representative of the communities they serve.
“It ensures that candidates that win have the broadest support possible,” said Blair Bobier, a board member with Oregon Ranked Choice Voting, which advocates for ranked-choice voting. He added: “You don’t have to worry about voting for the lesser of two evils. It gives your ballot more power, and gives you, as a voter, more choice and more meaningful choices.
Bobier explained that, if passed, Measure 117 would require county clerks to work with the Secretary of State’s office to submit reports to the Legislature by 2025 that explain their office’s staffing and budget requirements. Then, it would be up to state lawmakers to act and provide funding.
“I think we can count on their support going ahead with this,” Bobier said.
The measure wouldn’t go into effect until 2028, which Bobier says would be enough time to figure out funding. He explained that proponents specifically did not include legislative races on the ballot to focus on the most competitive races, in which ranked choice would make the biggest difference, and to make the process easier for clerks.
“I don’t think there’ll be any confusion with that at all,” Bobier said. “It’ll be pretty simple and straightforward.”
As for a new process that has the state provide a final tally, Bobier says ranked choice voting is “completely transparent” and auditable. He’s confident there won’t be a significant delay in results, but added: “We’re not going to McDonald’s for a happy meal or something. This doesn’t have to be done like fast food.”
“Elections are run by human beings, and wherever there are humans involved there’s the possibility of an error,” Bobier said. “But ranked choice voting has a great history of success.”
In other states
Ranked-choice voting is used in more than 50 places across the country, including Oregon’s Benton County, according to Measure 117′s website. It’s also used in Alaska and Maine.
Measure 117 has so far been endorsed by a wide range of groups, including the League of Women Voters of Oregon and the Oregon American Civil Liberties Union.
Long is the president of the Oregon Association of County Clerks. Four out of the clerks association’s five board members have endorsed the political action committee. But Long explained that the committee’s actions are separate from the association, which does not take a stance on political matters.
The committee was formed Monday, and Long says it’s possible that more clerks will endorse it.
“The bottom line is, if it passes, it’s our job to make it work,” Long said. “And we will.”
- This story originally appeared Aug. 30, 2024 on Oregon Public Broadcasting.