[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6610806,"mediaKeyId","2901335-0959f476b5a7ae98ad1fe684802afbc4","parentId",2901335,"title","Multnomah County elections staff review first ranked-choice voting use in 2024, point to equity and reporting work ahead","audioSeconds",2493,"startMs",98000,"endMs",2591000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2901335-0959f476b5a7ae98ad1fe684802afbc4&start=98&end=2591","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2901335-0959f476b5a7ae98ad1fe684802afbc4/thumbnail_98000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6610806/Multnomah-County/Oregon/Multnomah-County-elections-staff-review-first-ranked-choice-voting-use-in-2024-point-to-equity-and-reporting-work-ahead","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6610806-2f776a17e9257dce0febe61faa7b947c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140022&Signature=MgYSe8zwtWlo3osO-Hn~B2uh5ffsDD4GiU-dh61Xeuhr6XxZ0Occ7zrx243ds2ueoSG-VLabm-yYwI0Q2UxiMeJ9glrnDt-aF9OMepcHFdwk4zZzOv9SQQ24w9b46tFoeHggf~qpnUdH43tuW2pbm9p8f9FCUjbOVt5WNu0jGnXITn-bj7HkWtY36KY6~eP7IycTiRw93ECMJiGLTtefnXG0XAOMnywKuhKPGORUKyIhQvjBVTtGCuph73tMV9ksNnANix99832NPXWv-EFzZqEDrEW3oRlXB-EhbRtjl46HpK9UuY~LI6FJKhJlQPXyVWJFdzydq5ThVER48MPNMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Multnomah County","date","2025-04-08T20:33:55.257Z","article","Multnomah County Elections Division officials presented a report to the county commission on the implementation of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in the City of Portland\u0000contests during the November 2024 general election, outlining technical preparations, public education efforts and follow-up work needed to address lower turnout and higher rates of ballot errors in some precincts.

The briefing, delivered by Tim Scott, director of the Elections Division, and Leah Benson, the division's ranked-choice voting project manager, reviewed the software certification process, multi-county coordination, hand-recount procedure development and the county's voter-education role alongside the City of Portland. \"My name is Tim Scott, and I'm the director for the elections division,\" Scott told the board. Leah Benson said the briefing's purpose was \"to provide an accurate summary of the preparation outcomes and evaluation of the implementation of ranked choice voting for the November\" election.

County staff said the technical implementation met major milestones: ClearBallot Group updated its software and underwent testing and federal lab review; the software received Oregon certification on 08/29/2024; a tri-county intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Clackamas and Washington counties made Multnomah the central tabulator for Portland's multi-jurisdictional contests; and the Elections Division and national advisors created hand-recount procedures for both single- and multi-winner RCV contests. Staff also described three parallel new workflows: a separate RCV ballot page, new tabulation software, and three formats of public results reporting (clickable bar chart, simplified table and a detailed tabular report).

Because the Oregon Secretary of State's election-night reporting system did not support RCV formats, Multnomah County hosted consolidated RCV results for Portland contests on a county website developed with the Department of County Assets. \"All procedures for results reporting worked as planned and results were posted to the regular schedule,\" Benson said, adding that the county posted eight preliminary updates in addition to the final certified results on Dec. 2.

The briefing documented several successful operational elements: coordinated tri-county administration, software certification and internal verification, proactive media briefings and transparent release of cast-vote records and round-by-round tabulations. Staff noted that in the six Portland contests the candidates leading in early counts remained winners in most races; one District 1 contest concluded by last-active-candidate rules in the city code rather than by reaching a transfer threshold.

Elections staff also highlighted persistent equity concerns. County analysis and post-election polling showed lower turnout and higher rates of overvotes (ballot markings that cannot be counted) in City of Portland District 1 (east Portland) and in several precincts with higher percentages of voters of color and households that speak languages other than English at home. Benson summarized the outreach finding: the city led a broad voter-education campaign and Multnomah County supported targeted outreach, but both polling and precinct-level cast-vote-record analysis showed District 1 had lower awareness and higher error rates. \"This disparity is an equity concern and will require ongoing focus and targeted voter education outreach efforts,\" Benson said.

Staff described follow-up work already under way: focus groups and targeted usability testing with District 1 voters (including bilingual groups), additional outreach to voters with disabilities in partnership with county disability services, further automation and refinement of results-reporting formats to reduce staff workload, and a planned return to the board with county RCV administration code proposals in the summer.

Commissioners asked about long-term staffing and budget implications. Scott and department leadership said elections costs include ongoing additional workload and at least one recurring cost the division expects to see: an extra ballot page for RCV ballots estimated at $300,000 every other year. Margie Broadway, director of the Department of County Services, said the Elections Division is largely dependent on the county general fund and that during the current year budget constraints the division prioritized legally required functions such as ballot processing and posting results.

Staff laid out near-term recommendations: draft a Multnomah County elections code for RCV administration, continue refining results-report formats with County IT, collaborate with the City of Portland on a joint RCV voter-education plan for 2026, and begin operational planning for county RCV contests in 2026, including workload and mock ballot design. Benson said a full implementation report and ten recommendations are posted at moltco.us/rcv.

Board members praised the Elections Division's work under a tight timeline but stressed that equity in outreach, clearer results communications and sustainable staffing will be essential before county-wide RCV races in 2026. The briefing moved into commissioner questions and public discussion about outreach and trust in government before the board recessed to continue the agenda.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","04.08.25 Board Briefing","oneSentenceSummary","Multnomah County Elections Division officials briefed the county commission on the technical, operational and public-education work behind the City of Portland's use of ranked-choice voting in the November 2024 election, saying systems and hand-recount procedures were in place but that turnout and ballot-error rates in some east Portland precincts remain an equity concern.","taxTitle","Multnomah County, Oregon","taxId",2759,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6610801,"Multnomah County commission begins updating board rules; work session highlights agenda, conduct and time-management proposals",5454,4475000,9929000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2901335-0959f476b5a7ae98ad1fe684802afbc4&start=4475&end=9929","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2901335-0959f476b5a7ae98ad1fe684802afbc4/thumbnail_4475000.jpg","/articles/6610801/Multnomah-County/Oregon/Multnomah-County-commission-begins-updating-board-rules-work-session-highlights-agenda-conduct-and-time-management-proposals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6610801-74d67f5635ce7d493cd8592136546f79/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140022&Signature=R1BYI5ytwWDEPeFcp7d~FvYmPq03gH~iXMci2NoeKJvPPm0WRtISezh6kaf-n~g0QMuYB1l26XCG61PZNKjdMUgVveHO7grxNL-h9nLxd3Ppj4Q0HiWz2hyKO6iG3rx43npqRHmoa5u0Rd0R4UAaMToDZUMoTqa4fhDaFB9T6xaJmBuarAOnfZ-5dnZ9vZxPT7HP3AVBiWYXxt5lgONrTIPafAoEyjAP0JWBfLwW4LaCP9AEovviWTZcG~MamNU3tanFSnGxAY8IFxI99oOZ0jY~42Nqm6CjZbHetOxTmoLVHW2PP5MElQaUIJrmL3z1v4LM8ISuQhNrA-10f0YlBg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Multnomah County Commission held a work session to begin revising its board rules, hearing an initial draft from consultant Mary Hall Caballero and a supplemental proposal from commissioners' staff that aim to clarify agenda-setting, order of business, time-certain items, motions and expectations for member conduct.

\"The board's ability to work together and communicate effectively and transparently will be improved with updated board rules and practices,\" Caballero told the commission as she introduced a set of recommended changes drawn from interviews with current and former commissioners, model rules and practices used by other jurisdictions.

Caballero said the Phase 1 findings, developed from interviews, centered on four areas: setting a tone at the top for policy achievement, managing time for deliberation, taking ownership of meeting conduct, and making room for meaningful input as policies evolve. Her draft rules revise agenda procedures (Rule 14), make agendas draft until formally adopted at the start of meetings (Rule 16), add clearer definitions and terminology, and establish a stated expectation that the presiding officer's decisions are subject to review by a majority of commissioners.

The consultant's draft also recommends that the clerk administer agenda placement for eligible submitters (elected officials and departments), that the board adopt its rules at the first meeting of each year, and that the board explicitly state Robert's Rules of Order as the procedural standard for guidance. Caballero said those changes are designed to reduce friction caused by unclear agenda control and to provide predictable procedures for departments and commissioners.

Commissioners discussed several operational questions. They asked how the clerk would balance items when agendas fill, how many time-certain slots to permit in a session, and whether the presiding officer should be required to relinquish the gavel to participate in debate. Caballero said the rules allow flexibility but suggested the board decide in advance how long it will meet on Thursdays and to give the clerk clearer guidance about available meeting real estate.

Commissioners also considered a proposed code of conduct and sanctions in Rule 35 intended to set behavioral expectations and provide a process for response if a member breaches agreed norms. Several commissioners said they supported a visible set of conduct expectations but wanted to examine how and where the code should live and how sanctions would be implemented.

Brendan Finn and Reagan Gray, chiefs of staff for Commissioners Jones Dixon and Moyer, presented an alternative rules package and asked for a follow-up work session; Gray said the timing is urgent because the board will enter budget season and would benefit from shared procedural rules before major decisions. Chair Vega Peterson and staff agreed to schedule a dedicated session to continue the work.

No formal actions or votes were taken at the work session. Commissioners asked staff and the consultant to return with revised drafts that respond to questions about agenda real estate, time-certain mechanics, presiding-officer responsibilities, and the relationship between the rules and any separate code of conduct or policy. Several commissioners emphasized transparency for the public and protections to ensure items are not moved in ways that disadvantage members of the public who plan to testify.

The meeting recessed after the work session and commissioners indicated they will reconvene the discussion at a future, longer work session.

","A work session on board rules introduced a consultant's draft and a staff-drafted alternative that would clarify agenda control, meeting order, time-certain slots, presiding-officer powers and a code of conduct; commissioners asked for more time to review and slated a follow-up session before budget season.","actionData","errors"]

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Multnomah County elections staff review first ranked-choice voting use in 2024, point to equity and reporting work ahead

Multnomah County commission begins updating board rules; work session highlights agenda, conduct and time-management proposals