In Lents: All about ‘Ranked-Choice Voting’

INCLUDES INFORMATIVE VIDEO | With Election Day just weeks away, discover what folks at the Lents Neighborhood Livability Association learned about the City of Portland’s new ‘Ranked-Choice Voting’ system. This is information you really need to know …

As is their practice, the Lents Neighborhood Livability Association provides a light supper for all who attend their monthly meetings.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

At their regular monthly meeting, on Thursday, July 11th, members and guests of the Lents Neighborhood Livability Association experienced an in-depth expiation what the City of Portland calls its new “multi-winner ranked-choice voting” procedure, to be used to elect 12 new City Council members in the city’s new four districts, for the November 5 election.

And, Portland’s Mayor and Auditor will be elected in citywide contests using single-winner ranked-choice voting.

Before the meeting gets underway, the City of Portland Auditor’s Office Elections Analyst, James Eccles, chats with co-presenter Terry Harris, from the Government Transition Advisory Committee.

Confusing? Just wait until you hear how your “votes” are counted, tallied, and reorganized in this process.

Some 20 attendees listened, as City of Portland Auditor’s Office Elections Analyst James Eccles introduced the topic. Eccles then brought up Terry Harris, of the Government Transition Advisory Committee, to go into detail on the subject.

Introducing the topic is City of Portland Auditor’s Office Elections Analyst James Eccles.

One point about ranked-choice voting that took some in the audience off guard was that this form of voting eliminates runoff elections.

There’s no way we can concisely summarize the presentation, and the discussion along the way, as members of the audience asked pointed questions.

Government Transition Advisory Committee member Terry Harris gives a primer in ranked-choice voting.

One really needs to watch this video, produced by the LNLA, to learn more about how outer East Portlanders will be choosing their elected officials:

Ranked-choice Voting only for Portland
By the way, “traditional voting” will still be done for Multnomah County and Statewide offices during the fall election. According to the Multnomah County Elections Office website [CLICK HERE]

Voters approved measures in November 2022 to require use of Ranked Choice Voting for City of Portland and Multnomah County candidate contests.

NOTE: Multnomah County contests will be decided using Ranked-choice Voting starting November 2026.

Government Transition Advisory Committee member Terry Harris points out ‘District 1’ – the green area. City Council candidates from this outer East Portland district will be at the LNLA’s August meeting.

August 8: A Meet and Greet Q & A” with Portland City Council candidates running for District 1

At this live and in person the Lents Neighborhood Livability Association meeting, a light supper will be served from 6:30 until 7:00 p.m.

Then, from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m., organizers promise, “This will be an open forum of questions and answers between the audience and the candidates. Nothing will be rejected or censored as a valid question or concern.”

Confirmed candidates (so far) include: Cayle Tern, Deian Salazar, Timur Ender, Terrence Hayes, Steph Routh, Noah Ernst, Thomas Shervey, Sonja McKenzie, and Michael Sands.

This will take place at the Community Connection Center on the grounds of New Hope Church, 10603 SE Henderson Street. [Come in the front doors, turn right, go down the first hallway. Signs will point the way.] For more information, email lnla2018@gmail.com.

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