No matter how you intend to vote, the midterm election on Nov. 3 already had plenty riding on it.
Now, at least three voters, who received printed voter pamphlets from Deschutes County, have more unknowns to contend with: 24 missing pages.
Deschutes County Clerk Steve Dennison told the Source that his office doesn’t have a confirmed count of affected pamphlets. Yet, according to the review made by the printing company that contracted with the Oregon Secretary of State office, the number of flawed pamphlets is “extremely small” out of more than 100,000 pamphlets produced, he said.
Additionally, the printer’s preliminarily review indicated that this was an isolated bindery-feed issue, Dennison wrote by email.
“The 24-page insert section appears not to have fed into the binding process,” he added. “Additionally, the vendor’s automated thickness control systems is designed to identify pamphlets missing a section.”
County Commissioner-elect Rick Russell, who co-leads the “Don’t Gerrymander Deschutes” political action committee, noted in a press release that the missing pages, from number 16 to 41, included 11 arguments in favor and all 28 arguments against Measure 9-185. That’s the districting plan that two exiting county commissioners, Patti Adair and Tony DeBone, “rushed to the ballot,” Russell said in the release.
Arguments against the districting proposal were filed by 28 individuals and organizations, including Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler, County Commissioner Phil Chang, State Senator Anthony Broadman, The League of Women Voters and others.
Russell said it’s “unfortunate” 28 opposing arguments are missing in some pamphlets, adding “but we are confident that our county clerk and vote-by-mail system will distribute and count every legal ballot.”
Steve Dennison, the county clerk, said anyone who received a faulty pamphlet can pick one up at the Deschutes County Clerk’s Office at 1300 Wall Street or at a local U.S. Post Office. The correct versions are also available online.
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