By QUINTON SMITH/Lincoln Chronicle
Lincoln County voters are not showing much interest in returning their ballots. Yet.
As of Thursday, just 18 percent of the 40,475 ballots sent to voters in late April have been returned, according to county clerk Amy Southwell.
The so-called “special elections” in May of odd-numbered years never have a tremendous turnout. In Lincoln County, the percentage of ballots returned in May special elections range from 46.5 percent in 2011 to just 21.5 percent in 2019.
Turnout in presidential elections can hit 80 percent.
Southwell hopes the county’s turnout can reach 23 percent by 8 p.m. Tuesday.
“It could very well be that people are waiting until the last minute,” she said Thursday. “But that’s not usually the case in special elections. It may seem like a boring election … but every election is important, especially for school boards, fire districts and road districts. These are the people who make important decisions.”
Ballots can still be mailed – but must have a Tuesday postmark to be valid. Voters can also drop their ballots at special collection boxes outside every city hall in the county, the county courthouse, and in a new receptacle at Eddyville Community Church by 8 p.m. Tuesday
County employees will pick up ballots from the boxes at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Southwell said, and then return to get the last ballots and lock the boxes at 8 o’clock that night.
Southwell will release the first election results shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday, then again at 5 p.m. Wednesday, 5 p.m. Friday and for the last time on May 27.
Still figuring out what or who to vote for? The county’s voters pamphlet is online but you should also have received a printed version in the mail – one of 28,000 the county had printed at its own expense. There are also stacks of them at post offices, city halls and libraries.
Lincoln County paid $6,400 to print and mail the pamphlet, Southwell said. It charges $50-100 to candidates to publish their information and $200 to $400 for arguments for or against measures.
Three money measures
There are three money measures on the ballot, one countywide and two for fire districts. Here’s a brief look and link to previous Lincoln Chronicle stories.
Lincoln County School District: The district is asking voters to approve a $73 million building bond to replace one scheduled to expire next year – maintaining the current tax rate. Half of the bond would pay for all types of upgrades, repairs and maintenance of all its buildings. The big ticket items are the addition of 300-seat performance auditoriums and related spaces at Waldport, Newport and Toledo high schools.
Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue: The Waldport-based district is asking for a 60 cent increase to a levy of $1.27 that has been the same since it was approved in 2016 to help keep up with costs and rebuild financial reserves. The district’s board says it will lay off three of six firefighters and one of three administrators if the levy fails. Voters rejected the same levy proposal in last November’s general election by a 2-1 margin.
East Lincoln County Fire District: The district is seeking its first operating levy of 39 cents per $1,000 assessed property value to help purchase equipment needed after a long-standing agreement with the Toledo Fire Department ended last September. The district encompasses areas to the west, north and south of Toledo and to the east where it covers the communities of Elk City and Eddyville.
Board races
There are four seats — candidates zoned by area — on the Lincoln County School District board up for election and three are contested races. All voters countywide are able to chose which one they like
Newport police chief Jason Malloy, who was appointed to the board last July, is opposed by George Marrazzo of Newport for the Zone 3 position on the board. Mitch Parsons of Lincoln City, who was appointed in January, is opposed by Lori Lashbrook for a two-year unexpired term representing Zone 1 on the school board. Incumbent Sentilia McKinley of Waldport did not file for re-election for the school board’s Zone 5 seat, so Dave Cowden and Holly Brandwen, both of Yachats, will square off for that four-year position.
Three seats on the Oregon Coast Community College board are up for election, but there is only one contested race. Incumbent Chris Chandler of Newport is being challenged for the Zone 5 seat by Catherine Roller of Newport.
The most interesting race among all the local fire districts may be in the small Seal Rock Fire District, which has three of its five seats up for election and two contested races. Incumbent Paul Rimola is being challenged by volunteer firefighter Jeff Steere and Jeremy Garbina, a former Seal Rock volunteer who now is a full-time COCF&R firefighter. Rimola has been a frequent and outspoken critic of Central Coast while Garbina has been criticized for leaving Seal Rock for a full-time, paid position there. Russell Harley was appointed to the Seal Rock board last year and is being challenged for the 2-year unexpired 2 term by TiAnne Rios of Seal Rock, who is best known for her involvement in the Waldport Beachcomber Days organization and its ongoing tussles with the city of Waldport.
The Port of Newport has three commission positions up for election, but two incumbents are unopposed and two people – Larry Osborne and Curtis Bunch are running to fill the remaining two years on the Position 1 term left with the resignation of Walter Chuck, who was appointed in February to the Lincoln County commission.
There is one contested race for the North Lincoln Fire and Rescue District. Four of seven positions in the North Lincoln Health District are up for election, and two of those have contested races.
Three people have filed for Position 2 on the Seal Rock Water District board.
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