Dear Oregon Voters:

When I took office as Secretary of State in January of 2009, I had no idea that my first letter to Oregon voters in the state’s Voters’ Pamphlet would come so soon. However under our state constitution’s referendum system, enough Oregon voters signed petitions to refer to a statewide vote two measures adopted by the legislature in 2009.

The election before voters on January 26th is significant for two reasons. First, the initiative and referenda system is an important part of our political DNA as Oregonians and was established as part of Oregon’s constitution as one element of a series of important checks and balances on state government. The right of Oregonians to petition their government, and to gain access to the ballot by signing referendum petitions on laws passed by the legislature was exercised this year and so now, you as voters have important decisions to make.

Second, the questions before voters this January – whether to enact or reject legislation adopted by the legislature – are worthy of careful study and consideration. Because of the magnitude of the issues involved, the legislature set a special election in January. One of the key benefits of vote-by-mail is the time it provides voters to research the issues and cast an informed vote. This Voters’ Pamphlet contains information on each measure, as well as arguments submitted by proponents and opponents of the measures. I hope you will take the time to read them all and then make up your own mind about how you will vote.

Voting is the bedrock of our democracy and the first step is making sure you are registered. You can check your registration status by going to this website: www.oregonvotes.org and clicking on “am I registered to vote?”. If you’re not registered, you can download a voter registration form and submit it to your county elections office. The deadline to register for the January special election is January 5th. I am very pleased to tell you that by March 2010, I’ll be sharing a new website where you can register or update your registration online, from the comfort and convenience of your home computer or a laptop at your favorite coffee shop.

As your Chief Elections Officer I encourage you all to register and then vote in this and every election. Make sure your ballot is received by your county elections office by 8:00 pm on January 26th. If you have questions about registration, filling out your ballot, or about getting a replacement ballot if you make a mistake, please call our toll-free hotline, 1-866-ORE-VOTE, or 1-866-673-8683.

Sincerely,

Kate Brown
Oregon Secretary of State