The mission of the Oregon Voter Rights Coalition is to restore public ownership and oversight of elections, and to ensure the fundamental right of every American citizen to vote and to have each vote counted as intended in a secure, transparent, impartial, and independently verified election process.
Oregon Voter Rights Coalition's 2006 Election Observation Program (May Primary Wave)
Submitted by Ginny on Thu, 04/06/2006 - 12:40pm
The primary election is coming up on May 16th and we're looking for volunteers across the state to observe the voting process in their counties. We need people who will be available weekdays during the 2 weeks before the election, if only for just 1 or 2 hours. This election observation program is important for assuring fair and honest elections. It will also support Oregon VRC's goal of making our election system a model for the rest of the nation. This program will also be in full swing for the general election in November. Observing during the primary election is an excellent way to gain experience and also help us recruit more concerned citizens for this activity.
STATEWIDE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES TO OBSERVE OREGON PRIMARY ELECTION PROCESS
Participate May 1 to 16
Click here for a downloadable flyer (Word)
Participate May 1 to 16
Click here for a downloadable flyer (Word)
The primary election is coming up on May 16th and we're looking for volunteers across the state to observe the voting process in their counties. We need people who will be available weekdays during the 2 weeks before the election, if only for just 1 or 2 hours. This election observation program is important for assuring fair and honest elections. It will also support Oregon VRC's goal of making our election system a model for the rest of the nation. This program will also be in full swing for the general election in November. Observing during the primary election is an excellent way to gain experience and also help us recruit more concerned citizens for this activity.
Purpose: To engage citizens in democracy by encouraging direct observation of the election process and to contribute to the integrity and improvement of elections through public participation.
Overview: Citizen observers will go to their county election office during the two week primary election period and observe a variety of processes such as machine testing and certification, ballot sorting, handling & counting, signature verification, the interaction of election staff with the public, and how the election staff assures that citizens' rights are protected as they deal with communication of rules, provisional ballots, etc. Citizen observers will then send a written description of their observations and recommendations to the Oregon VRC.
The most important days to observe are Monday and Tuesday, May 15 and May 16, the day before Election Day and Election Day. If you can’t observe these two days, the days closest to the election would be best. Another good opportunity to observe is the public "Logic & Accuracy Test" (Monday, May 8 at 2:00 PM in Multnomah County). After the election, observers will send their written evaluations to the Oregon VRC for review. Past participants in this program have found it extremely interesting to see the election process first hand, and we think you will, too.
1. Contact Your County Election Clerk: Contact your local county election clerk in advance and make arrangements for observing the election. Let them know that you are part of the Oregon VRC's Citizen Observer program. For county clerk contact info: http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/other.info/clerk.htm
2. Inquire About Training or Orientation: Ask the clerk if there is a training or orientation they could provide prior to your observation. If you recruit a group of volunteers, help the county clerk by coordinating your group ahead of time and attend the orientation as a group.
3. Contact Oregon VRC before the election: Please call or write Dave Jackson and let him know where and when you will be observing. Please feel free to contact him if you have any questions or problems in setting up this observation, or if he can help in any other way.
4. Share your Observations: Once you have completed your observation, please record your impressions and send the report to Dave. Important observations include: whether you were able to observe the entire process, any machine operation or testing events, any observations on citizen interaction with officials, and especially any recommendations that you have about the process or ways to improve the observation.
THANK YOU. We will need volunteers again for this program for the Oregon General Election on November 7, 2006!
Click here for a downloadable flyer (Word)
VIDEO: “Protecting Your Vote”
