Time To Vote

November 6, 2012 is Election Day.  Oregon ballots have been mailed (October 19-23) and, if you are a registered voter, you should have your ballot.





Leading up to the election you might enjoy checking out Nate Silver's political blog at the New York Times, Five Thirty Eight for a discussion of national trends, poll results, electoral college predictions, and historical context of the national campaigns and elections.

Check out Open Secrets to learn about some of the donors, political action committees, outside spenders, and industries supporting national and state candidates.  Who's funding Art Robinson?  Peter DeFazio?

The League of Women Voters of Oregon provide lots of information on Oregon elections, ballot measures, candidates, money in politics, and more.  Click on the Education tab to find their voters' guide for overviews and analysis of issues in the upcoming state and national elections.

The Oregonian newspaper should have election results for the state and nation once election night arrives and precincts start reporting.

Douglas County Election results will be posted by the Douglas County Clerk's Office on their website, usually updated several times throughout election night.

Time to Vote!-- Election 2008

It is an interesting time on the national stage recently, and your chance to make a difference is fast approaching. That's right, it's time to vote! To help you be more informed, more efficient, and more effective this November, check out this list of resources for everything from local ballot drop-off points to national Presidential election predictions!

Who's Who in the Presidential Race?

John McCain (Republican candidate)

• Sarah Palin (Republican Vice Presidential Candidate)

Barack Obama (Democratic candidate)

• Joe Biden (Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate)
  

National Presidential, Congressional, and Senate Races, 2008:

• C-SPAN: Campaign 2008 Election Forecast (added content from Congressional Quarterly)

• CNN: America Votes 2008

• Fox News: Elections 2008

• NPR: Election Map 2008

• New York Times: Election Guide 2008

• Washington Post: Presidential Candidates 2008
  

Local Elections

Douglas County Elections,

Includes current candidates, local measures, county office requirements, drop site locations for returning your ballot, and signage regulations.

Need more information on your rights and responsibilities as an Oregon voter?

Voting in Oregon: a Douglas County FAQ

Voting Instructions

Douglas County Voter's Pamphlet

• Don't have time to mail your ballot? Local Ballot Drop Sites & Hours

County election results (updated throughout the evening on Election Day)


Oregon State Elections Division

Oregon Election Calendar 2008

August 26 candidate filing deadline / voters' pamphlet filing deadline

September 20 ballots mailed to long-term absent voters (overseas and military)

October 6 ballots mailed to out-of-state voters

October 8-10 voters' pamphlet delivery

October 14 voter registration deadline

October 17-21 ballots mailed to voters other than long-term and out-of-state voters

November 4 election day

December 4 certification of election results

National Voting Resources Online

Vote411

A "one-stop source for election-related questions." Information about polling places, candidates, election registration and polling deadlines, and much more, sorted by state. Created by the League of Women Voters Education Fund.

Vote Source [edit 10/2]

"Your source for making informed election decisions." Another great site from the League of Women Voters that covers both national and local contests and candidates.

Project VoteSmart

Project VoteSmart is a non-profit, non-partisan effort to provide information on national "candidates and elected officials in five basic categories: biographical information, issue positions, voting records, campaign finances and interest group ratings."

FactCheck.org

A resource site from the non-profit Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania that "monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major US political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases."

OpenSecrets.org

A resource site put together by the non-profit Center for Responsive Politics, OpenSecrets allows one to search for campaign finance reports for candidates and elected officials by region and jurisdiction. Each profile also includes a brief synopsis of past funding trends and when the official is due for their next election cycle.

FiveThirtyEight

This site gathers election predictions for the Presidential race from all major polls, as well as the current predictions for the House and Senate. (538 refers to the number of seats in the Electoral College.)

OnTheIssues.org

See where each candidate stands on most major policy issues by vote count and past statements, organized into a list of common controversial topics.

REGISTER TO VOTE! and then VOTE

Oregon's primary, May 20th, is looking like it may have some actual significance in the upcoming presidential election. Specifically, there is still no single democratic candidate for President. State primaries, including Oregon's, are still sorting out who will be up against the certain-to-be-nominated Republican candidate, John McCain.

Meanwhile, because of the tightly contested Democratic primary race between Clinton and Obama, those of us who pay attention to this sort of thing are hearing a bewildering tale of delegates and superdelegates.

So what do you need to know so far about the upcoming Presidential election?

#1 REGISTER TO VOTE

Voting in Oregon Deadlines: Oregon's primary is May 20. The deadline to register for the primary or register with a party is April 29. Under current state party rules, independent voters who wish to vote in the presidential primary must register with a party. (from OregonLive)

Read all about election details at the Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division but the main thing is that you need to fill out the registration form (Adobe Acrobat format) and turn it in to:

Douglas County Clerk
PO Box 10
Roseburg, OR 97470-0004
(541) 440-4252 / TTY 1-800-735-2900

or drop it off at the Douglas County Courthouse at the Clerk's Office.

#2 OK. Now you're registered. And you still want to know what's up with "delegates" and "superdelegates". You could do worse than listen to Josh Marshall of "TalkingPointsMemo.com" explain:




#3 If you want to see what the major parties are up to in Oregon, visit the websites of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and the Independent Party.

#4 Then, way off in November 2008, we'll vote on the candidates who win their party's nomination. Of course, then we'll all be reminded of the value and the purpose and the controversy surrounding the electoral college--the body that really elects the president. Usually.

#5 Between now and then, you can keep up with some of the Oregon political news by checking in with The Oregonian. And don't forget to register. And vote.