Ballots for the May 16, 2023, Multnomah County special election were delivered to some Portland-area homes on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
Courtney Sherwood / OPB
There’s still time to vote in Tuesday’s election, so put your pride aside and dig through that stack of mail to find your ballot.
You’re in good company.
As of Monday mid-morning, just 15.8% of Oregon voters had submitted ballots for the May special election.
Only 471,179 ballots have arrived so far at elections offices across the state.
In the Portland metro area, Clackamas County led the way with 17.2% turnout as of Monday morning. Multnomah County had received just 14.1% of ballots.
Click the play button to hear OPB’s Portland city government reporter Alex Zielinski discuss what’s on the ballot this election season:
Washington County’s turnout was just 13.7%.
There are some tax measures across Oregon’s 36 counties, but not as many high-profile contests as last year’s May primary, which saw 37.8% turnout.
The two most significant races in Multnomah County are a proposed capital gains tax to cover the cost of legal counsel for tenants facing eviction and a county commission race to fill a vacant seat representing Southeast Portland between Julia Brim-Edwards and Ana del Rocío.
Brim-Edwards is a Portland Public Schools board member and a former Nike executive. Del Rocío is a former adviser to the current county chair, leader of a political nonprofit and a former David Douglas School Board member.
Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day or be postmarked by May 16.