Tag Archive for 'Nov 3 Election'

Oregon’s Secretary of State previews technology for Windows 8 exclusively to voters with disabilities

Published on October 22, 2012 in Elections, general election, HAVA, Headlines, Press Releases, Secretary Brown and Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

SALEM – Under the leadership of Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown, Samsung has provided 10 tablet PC’s loaded with Microsoft’s new Windows 8 operating system to be used by Oregon voters with disabilities. Windows 8 provides many built in accessibility tools and features as well as USB plug-in capabilities for accessibility-enhancing devices that can simplify the process of marking a ballot for voters with disabilities. The Secretary of State’s office is piloting the software in conjunction with this election.

“Our relationship with Microsoft is another example of my strong commitment to increasing access to the ballot,” said Secretary of State Kate Brown. “Specifically, in this pilot project Oregon voters with disabilities will be encouraged to test their own accessibility devices with the brand-new technology that should increase the use and confidence in our accessible voting system.”

Currently, all 36 Oregon counties have tablets available for voters with disabilities. Last fall Oregon became the first state in the nation to utilize tablet technology in elections. This latest pilot featuring the Samsung Series 7 PC tablets with Windows 8 will be used during the November General Election. Oregon’s Secretary of State and Microsoft Corp. will be working together providing technical support and feedback during this latest pilot.

“Oregon is a recognized leader in elections solutions. We are pleased to work with them in this first usage in the U.S. of a Windows 8-powered tablet for elections,” said Mark Wernet, Microsoft.

Oregon voters with disabilities interested in accessing tablet technology to mark their ballot should contact Don DeFord at Don.Deford@state.or.us or call 503-986-1518.

Secretary of State Kate Brown Announces Measure Numbers for 2012 General Election

Published on July 31, 2012 in Ballot Initiatives, Elections, general election, Headlines, Secretary Brown and Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

SALEM – Measure numbers have been assigned to the two legislative referrals from the 76th Legislative Assembly and the initiative petitions that have qualified for the November 6, 2012 General Election ballot. They are the following:

Measure #77 Amends Constitution: Governor may declare “catastrophic disaster” (defined); requires legislative session; authorizes suspending specified constitutional spending restrictions

Measure #78 Amends Constitution: Changes constitutional language describing governmental system of separation of powers; makes grammatical and spelling changes

Measure #79 Amends Constitution: Prohibits real estate transfer taxes, fees, other assessments, except those operative on December 31, 2009

Measure #80 Allows personal marijuana, hemp cultivation/use without license; commission to regulate commercial marijuana cultivation/sale

Measure #81 Prohibits commercial non-tribal fishing with gillnets in Oregon “inland waters,” allows use of seine nets

Measure #82 Amends Constitution: Authorizes Establishment of Privately-Owned Casinos; Mandates Percentage Of Revenues Payable To Dedicated State Fund

Measure #83 Authorizes Privately-Owned Wood Village Casino; Mandates Percentage Of Revenues Payable To Dedicated State Fund

Measure #84 Phases out existing inheritance taxes on large estates, and all taxes on intra-family property transfers

Measure #85 Amends Constitution: Allocates Corporate Income/Excise Tax “Kicker” Refund To Additionally Fund K Through 12 Public Education

For additional information, please visit our website at www.oregonvotes.gov or follow Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown on Twitter or Facebook.

For more information, please contact

Andrea Cantu-Schomus
Communications Director
Oregon Secretary of State
503-986-2368
503-507-0082

Bing Video: Oregon makes voting accessible with iPad

Published on November 20, 2011 in Elections, Headlines, Secretary Brown, Special Elections and Special Primary. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

MSNBC featured the success of Oregon’s pilot program making iPads accessible to voters with disabilities in the first congressional district. Oregon Secretary Kate Brown and Lori Steele, Chairman and CEO of Everyone Counts, Inc were both interviewed by MSNBC’s Craig Melvin.

Secretary Brown shared her optimism about the pilot and explained that the second phase will kick off in January with the General Election. After the General election, officials will gather information from those who used the iPad - disability groups and county elections crews - to decide if the technology will be implemented statewide.

Watch the video: Oregon tests voting by iPad

Want to vote in the Nov. 3 elections? Register now!

Published on October 13, 2009 in Elections. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Today is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 3 elections.

Voters all over the state will make choices in how to administer cities, schools and a multitude of local service districts. These aren’t issues that will likely make the statewide radar, but they do matter a lot to those who they will affect. And that is what this election is about; communities making critical choices on vital issues that will affect them for years to come.

Perhaps the biggest ballot measure in the state this fall is Central Oregon Community College’s request for $41.6 million in bonds for campus improvements. Voters in all or parts of six central Oregon counties will decide the fate of the bonds.

Most of the remaining requests concern local services; fire districts, water districts, library districts, animal protection districts, amongst others. For instance, the city of Bandon is asking for money for police services, while the Shangri-La Water District in Lane County is asking for money for system repairs. The city of Ashland wants to main a tax on food and beverages to pay for waste-water services and finally the Rogue River Rural Fire Protection District is asking for money to maintain services.

Close on the heels of the registration deadline is the day when ballots start going in the mail. That will begin on Friday.

And remember to have your ballots in the hands of your local elections office no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. Postmarks don’t count.