FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 8, 2022

Contact: Jaime Mathis, jaime.clackamasvoice@gmail.com 503-708-3249

West Linn, OR.–Today, November 8, 2022 is General Election Day. Voters can turn their ballots in until 8:00 pm on Election Day at any Official Ballot Drop Site across the state. You can find your nearest site with the Oregon Drop Box Locator or consult the list of Official Ballot Drop Sites available in Clackamas County here. If you need to you can also mail them as long as they are postmarked on Election Day. 

This is a general election so you will be voting for offices from your Governor and Congressperson to your County Clerk. You can check that your ballot was received by visiting the Secretary of State’s website oregonvotes.gov/myvote. 

Election results are typically posted both on the Secretary of State’s website oregonvotes.gov and the Clackamas County Elections website clackamas.us/elections shortly after 8:00 pm on Election Night. Election results are unofficial until they are certified on or before December 5. In a late breaking story Monday night, it was announced that the current Clackamas County Clerk will delay releasing significant election results until Wednesday, November 9 at 6:00 pm.

Catherine McMullen, candidate for Clackamas County Clerk and resident of Clackamas County had this advice, “I will be working with a lot of voters that are turning in their ballot today, and I want to make sure your vote is counted. If you are turning in your ballot on Election Day, a good practice is to use your nearest Official Ballot Drop Box or visually confirm your ballot has been postmarked by your postal worker on November 8 at the post office.”

The May Primary Election was marred in Clackamas County this year by mishandling and mis-management by Sherry Hall, the current clerk, resulting in dramatically delayed election results, increased costs, and loss of public trust. Members of the public who want to be election observers should contact their political party or the elections office to schedule a time to observe the process. 

Voters can learn more about Catherine McMullen, candidate for County Clerk and certified elections administrator at ClackamasVoice.org.

This information is available on the website in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Russian.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 4, 2022

Contact: Jaime Mathis, jaime.clackamasvoice@gmail.com 503-708-3249

West Linn, OR.– Election Day is Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Voters are encouraged to vote this weekend and drop off their ballots either in a blue USPS postbox or at an Official Ballot Drop Box. It is especially important that voters mark and consider races across their entire ballot as offices for Clackamas County Clerk and commissioners, city Mayor and councilors are up for voters to decide. 

Clackamas County resident, experienced elections official, and candidate for County Clerk, Catherine McMullen issued the following statement, 

“Some of the elected offices that make the biggest impact on voters’ daily lives will be found further down your ballot. Many voters forget to vote across the whole ballot or don’t feel as prepared to vote for local races, but these races determine who gets to decide Clackamas County taxes, housing policy, provide marriage services, and conduct elections, to name just a few points of impact these offices make on voters and our communities.

I urge you to make an informed choice for County Clerk so that we can have the timely, transparent, and trusted elections all Clackamas County citizens deserve.”

You can find a list of Official Ballot Drop Sites in Clackamas County here. To find out more about Catherine McMullen’s campaign for County Clerk, visit ClackamasVoice.org

This information is available on the website in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Russian.

This OpEd appeared in the “Clackamas Review” on October 27.

Fair and free elections are a fundamental building block of our democracy and a means to good governance at the local, state, and federal levels. From my experience as a long-time election administrator, upholding election integrity means three core standards; that
● every eligible voter has the resources they need to vote easily and without
hassle;
● our elections are safe, secure, and are confusion and error free;
● and election results are timely, accurate, and trusted.

Upholding election integrity takes all of us: voters, candidates, and election officials working together and holding each other accountable.

Election integrity means that every eligible voter has the resources they need to vote easily and without hassle. In Oregon you are eligible to vote if you are 18 years old, a resident of Oregon, and a citizen of the United States. With few exceptions, you have a right and responsibility to vote in each and every election. As an election official it is my responsibility to make sure you register to vote and can vote, and that as a voter you can get assistance if you have a disability, speak a language other than English, or cannot read the ballot. If your signature didn’t match or you forgot to sign your ballot, I will contact you so that we can address the problem and count your vote.

Election integrity means that our elections are safe and secure. It means that directions, rules, and communication are clear. Oregon elections are safe and secure. With our proud history of Vote-by-Mail and all paper ballots we have a paper trail of every cast vote. Our voting equipment that tallies the vote is never connected to the internet, and is kept secure and apart from all other systems.

As an election official I have a responsibility to provide clear and accurate information about each election and make it accessible to all eligible voters. As a candidate for office I rely on facts and refrain from fear-mongering tactics. As voters we have a responsibility to investigate the information we read online, on social media, and receive in the mail. We look for who is the true source of the information and if it can be verified and trusted.

As a community we stand up to intimidation and harassment at the ballot box. If we see a voter being questioned, intimidated, or kept from voting we report that to our local election official and public safety partners. We agree that every eligible voter has a right to vote safely, securely, and confidentially.

Election integrity means that we have accurate, timely, and transparent results on Election Night and every day after until the election is certified. We can see every step of the process and results are accurate and trusted as the end result. As your election official I make sure we have the needed resources and staffing planned out to signature verify, process, and tally every ballot for each election. With my experience in project management and conducting elections during emergencies I can ensure that elections are conducted and accurate results are provided according to required
statutes, administrative rules, and public expectations.

As voters we can help elections officials by making a plan to vote: deciding when we will vote, and knowing where to return our voted ballot. We share only trusted information from election officials about election results and processes. We can also serve as election observers, watching the process to hold our elections officials and leaders accountable.

It takes each of us in our unique and important roles as voters, candidates, and elections officials to uphold election integrity and ensure free and fair elections.

If you haven’t turned in your ballot yet, you still have plenty of time. Tuesday, November 8 is Election Day. Your voted ballot must be returned to an Official Ballot Drop Site by 8PM or mailed with a valid postmark by November 8, 2022 – Election Day. I urge you to vote across your ballot and make choices for candidates, contests, and measures at all levels of government. Thank you for exercising your right to vote.

Catherine McMullen lives in West Linn with her family, is a certified election administrator and candidate for Clackamas County Clerk.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 25, 2022

Contact: Jaime Mathis, jaime.clackamasvoice@gmail.com 503-708-3249

West Linn.–OR.  Election Day for the general election falls on Tuesday, November 8, just two weeks from today. You should have received your ballot in the mail but if you have not, you can pick a replacement up at the Clackamas County Clerk’s office located at 1710 Red Soils Court, Suite 100 Oregon City, OR 97045 or call them and request a ballot be mailed to you at: 503-655-8510.

Clackamas County Clerk candidate and experienced election administrator, Catherine McMullen, encourages voters to be proactive about voting, reviewing resources, and creating a plan to return your ballot. “Know how and when you are going to vote, make sure you know where to drop off your ballot, and know how to track your ballot to ensure it is received.” 

Voters can return their voted ballots in the mail or use any Official Ballot Drop Site in the state. Find your nearest location with the Oregon Drop Box Locator from the Secretary of State. Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day, November 8 or returned to an Official Ballot Drop Site before 8:00pm on Election Day.

You can learn more about the critical role of the County Clerk in a functioning democracy and Catherine’s candidacy at: ClackamasVoice.org

This information is available on the website in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Russian.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 19, 2022

Contact: Jaime Mathis, jaime.clackamasvoice@gmail.com 503-708-3249

West Linn, OR.– Ballots for the November 8 General Election are being mailed to Clackamas County voters today. They should arrive within five business days and once voted can be returned to any Official Ballot Drop Box or simply placed in your mailbox to be collected by your mail carrier. 

Catherine McMullen, candidate for Clackamas County Clerk and certified elections administrator, encourages voters to check that their ballot has arrived, and once received create a plan to vote. “Creating that plan to vote, giving yourself time to ponder all of the issues and candidates and then vote across your whole ballot is a great practice. If you then turn in your ballot early, you will also have plenty of time to respond to any issues that might arise, like if you forget to sign your ballot return envelope or your signature does not match the signature on your voter registration record.”

If you have not received your ballot by October 26, you can request a replacement ballot at the Clackamas County Clerk’s office located at: 1710 Red Soils Court, Suite 100 Oregon City, OR 97045 or by calling 503-655-8510. Voted ballots must be postmarked and mailed or returned to an Official Ballot Drop Box by 8:00pm on Election Night, November 8.

You can learn more about Catherine’s election experience and campaign at: ClackamasVoice.org.

This information is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Russian.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 18, 2022

Contact: Jaime Mathis, jaime.clackamasvoice@gmail.com 503-708-3249

West Linn, OR.–Today, October 18 is the last day to register to vote in the November 8 General Election. This election will determine which candidates will represent Clackamas County voters from their Congressperson down to local officials like the County Clerk. 

Registering to vote or checking your information can be done online in a short amount of time by visiting the Oregon Secretary of State website: oregonvotes.gov. Voters already registered can update their voter registration up until 8 pm on Election Day if needed, but the deadline for new voter registrations in Oregon is today, October 18.

You should have received your voters’ pamphlets (both State and County) by now and if you do not, you can obtain them by either stopping by the County Clerk’s office at 1710 Red Soils Court, Suite 100 Oregon City, OR 97045 or calling 503-655-8510 and requesting them via mail.

Catherine McMullen, candidate for Clackamas County Clerk, elections official, and Clackamas County resident has won awards for voter outreach and education. She had the following comment, “Registering to vote is one of the most powerful ways you can shape your local government. Make sure that you vote across your entire ballot because it is often the races on the back and end of the ballot that have the biggest impact on voters’ daily lives.”

Cole Merkel, Clackamas County resident recently shared on Twitter why he is voting for Catherine McMullen to be his next County Clerk.

It was so successful that Catherine came back every election cycle, ahead of both the primary and the general to make sure folks were registered and had all the tools they needed to successfully cast their ballots.

I’m supporting Catherine McMullen this election because Clackamas County needs a clerk that understands the challenges of hard to reach communities and does everything in her power to make sure they feel empowered in their fundamental right to the ballot.

I’m supporting Catherine McMullen this election because Clackamas County needs a clerk who takes electoral integrity seriously and who will ensure quality control and security in every step of the process.

I’ll end on a personal note. Earlier this year, Nathan and I considered eloping but stopped short when we realized how hard it is to get married at the courthouse. Turns out, the current clerk stopped officiating all marriages when same sex marriage was legalized.

I’m supporting Catherine McMullen for Clackamas County Clerk because she recognizes that all couples have the right to marry and she will resume the practice of officiating weddings in the clerk’s official duties.

Join me in voting Catherine McMullen for County Clerk by November 8.

An update on the #WestLinn City Council ballot mistake from West Linn Tidings: What does a postponed election mean for West Linn City Council?

This error could have been prevented with an extra 15 minutes in early September to review the letter from the City Recorder to the County Elections office, the West Linn City Charter, and then a phone call with a correction. 15 minutes. The County Clerk is afforded that privilege, it’s even in the Oregon Revised Statues – ORS 246.210 County clerk to supervise local elections officials; “a county clerk may exercise general supervision of administration of election laws by each local elections official in the county for the purpose of achieving and maintaining a maximum degree of correctness, impartiality, efficiency and uniformity in the administration by local elections officials. In this regard the county clerk may assist local elections officials in answering questions concerning the proper administration of election laws.”

---

“”We were told by Clackamas County elections there was no way to run an election in December,” he said. “They can’t produce ballots in time.”

Williams also noted that the city expects to pay $15,000-20,000 for the March election.

Monahan explained that other matters may be placed on the March special election ballot as well, but not a vote for mayor. If Walters were to win her race for the House seat, the mayoral position would be temporarily vacant but the charter states that the vacancy should be filled in the next May or November election.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 11, 2022

Contact: Jaime Mathis, jaime.clackamasvoice@gmail.com 503-708-3249

West Linn, OR– In partnership with the Oregon Secretary of State, the Clackamas County Clerk is responsible for making certain all households receive a copy of the voters’ pamphlet which provides candidate statements (Read Catherine McMullen’s candidate statement) as well as measure arguments for or against measures found on your ballot. This week voters should be receiving their voters’ pamphlets in the mail and will have a chance to review the candidates and measures they will be voting on before ballots arrive. 

For the November 8 General Election, your local County Voters’ Pamphlet that includes local measures and offices has been mailed separately from your State Voters’ Pamphlet. You should have TWO Voters’ Pamphlets in the mail. Catherine McMullen’s statement to voters is in the Clackamas County Voters’ Pamphlet found on page 10. Federal and State Candidates and Measures can be found in the State Voters’ Pamphlet. County, City, and Local Candidates can be found in the County Voters’ Pamphlet. You can also find more information about candidates in the League of Women Voters website: Vote411.org and just type in your address.

If you do not receive your voters’ pamphlets, you can obtain one by stopping by the County Clerk’s Office located at: 1710 Red Soils Ct., Suite 100 Oregon City, OR 97045 or requesting one be mailed to you by calling 503-655-8510. For the first time voting information will be more accessible to voters who speak languages other than English. As a result of the passage of HB 3021 specific portions of the state and county voters’ pamphlets will be available in the top languages of the state and county that voters speak.  

Catherine McMullen, a Clackamas County resident, elections official, and candidate for Clackamas County Clerk emphasized the importance of voters having access to the voters’ pamphlet. 

“The voters’ pamphlet is your guide to getting to know candidates and measures. Voters’ pamphlet statements are written by the candidates and offer important information about their values and qualifications. I encourage voters to take the time to read about their choices and research any questions they may have so they can make an informed choice on their ballot. 

I am especially pleased to see HB 3021 put into action, making voting resources accessible to all eligible voters through translation. As an election administrator who spearheaded language access efforts for voters at the county level since 2016, to now have resources that all voters can use statewide is rewarding. Voters can also access information about voting and my campaign in multiple languages on our website ClackamasVoice.org”

McMullen also stated that she was available to help answer any questions Clackamas County voters might have about how to locate information in the voters’ pamphlet. The Voter Registration Deadline is Tuesday, October 18 and voters should check online at oregonvotes.gov to ensure they are registered to vote at their current address. 

You can reach McMullen and find out more about her campaign in multiple languages at: ClackamasVoice.org

This Press Release is available in Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, and Chinese.

Note: This blog post was updated and corrected on October 15 to reflect that there are two separate Voters’ Pamphlet Statements for this election (County and State).

The West Linn City Council election for two City Council members must be postponed until March 2023 after yet another preventable ballot error on West Linn voters’ ballots has made the contest invalid.

West Linn Tidings’ Holly Bartholomew writes today, October 6: