KWSO News for Mon., Oct. 17, 2022

The deadline to register to vote in Oregon is Tomorrow (Tuesday). Oregonians can register either in person, online before midnight or via the mail, which must be postmarked for Tuesday. Oregon is one of eight states where elections are conducted entirely by mail. Ballots will start going out on Wednesday. Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan says for people experiencing homelessness, they can register anywhere with an address.            “They could use, for example, the local elections office. They could use any different address that can receive mail as their residence for purposes as voting, as long as they’re an Oregon resident and otherwise eligible to vote.”  A recent New York Times analysis ranked Oregon the easiest place in the country to vote. Ballots must be in a dropbox by 8 p-m or postmarked for November 8th.  Oregon has been a vote-by-mail state for more than two decades. Oregon ballots will begin going out this Wednesday. They’re due November 8th.

Locally on our ballots for Jefferson County residents within the Madras Aquatic Center Recreation District – there is a request for renewal of a five year local option tax for general operations.  If approved – the district would impose 40 cents per one thousand dollars of assessed value to continue operations for five years beginning fiscal year 2023 – 2023.  This measure renews current local option taxes. Also on the ballot are two candidates for position #1 on the Jefferson County Commission – incumbent Mae Huston and Mark Wunsch.  You can hear interviews with those candidates HERE

Last week work began on a new skatepark at Elmer Quinn Park in Warm Springs. Blake Bishop of Collective Concrete was on site.  There’s going to be a handful of people coming in and out of town– I’d say around 15 to 30 people at any given time.  We are going to be out here every day.  Feel free to stop by to see what we are doing and give any feedback. Work will be in progress during the week and weekends with a goal of competing the project by the end of October.