Portland to enshrine bad election laws (No Measure 26-250)

By In the news
In: Uncategorized
Wednesday October 23, 2024


Portland voters should reject Measure 26-250 –the election commission charter measure
By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

Portland’s local Measure 26-250 is a bad idea.

Don’t be fooled by this sneaky attempt to reduce accountability in Portland’s elections!

 

Measure 26-250 would cement the Elections Commission into our City Charter, making it nearly impossible to fix when things go wrong. Here’s why we must reject this proposal:

 

  1. Measure 26-250 handcuffs our Democracy: Right now, the Elections Commission can be changed by our elected officials when needed. If we lock it into the Charter, we’re stuck with it – good or bad – unless we have another citywide vote. That’s not progress, that’s paralysis!

 

  1. Measure 26-250 silences Voters’ Voices: With this change, the new 12-member City Council we voted for in this election would lose the ability to quickly address issues with the Elections Commission. Why are we already undermining the reforms we just approved?

 

  1. Measure 26-250 is a Trojan Horse for More Power: The vague language about “other election or campaign finance-related law or program” is a recipe for disaster. It’s an open invitation for the Commission to grab more authority without proper checks and balances.

 

  1. Measure 26-250 has No Financial Upside: Even the City Budget Office admits this does nothing to save money. So why are we even considering it?

 

  1. Measure 26-250 guts Accountability: This move rips power away from our elected representatives and puts the power in the hands of an unelected Elections Commission. They have no duty or obligation to respond when voters have concerns about our election processes.

 

Remember, an ordinance—not the Charter—established Portland’s public financing of elections. We don’t need to mess with the Charter to have fair elections!

 

Don’t let them lock our democracy into a rigid and unaccountable system we can’t easily fix.

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