November 04, 2003
(Updated) VOTE OR DIE! (PUD Edition)
Note: This post has been updated. Any and all updates appear at the end of the original post.
It's an election day, and therefore time again for an item whose headline steals the name of an old defunct project of mine.
Specfically, it's time for the special election on forming a People's Utility District for Mulnomah County.
An AP piece from yesterday examines the interplay in this election between views of PUDs, PGE, and Enron. And today's Oregonian suggests that supporters of a PUD should prepare for low turnout, which would mean failture of the property tax measure even if the PUD-forming measure should somehow pass.
Obviously, it's too late to mail your ballots. Find a drop site location instead. For what it's worth, yes I did vote both in favor of Measure #26-51 and Measure #26-52 (you could probably deduce that from PUD coverage here).
My picks for the PUD board (despite my concerns about having to vote on a board in the same election) have the same overlap as that between those of The Portland Mercury and those of Willamette Week.
Whatever your votes, go deliver your ballots if you haven't already. You have until 8:00 PM.
Update
According to ballot return figures as of 12:00 PM today, only 38% of registered voters have in fact voted. It's extremely unlikely (or, more accurately, essentially impossible) that turnout will reach the required 50% for Measure #26-52, regardless of what happens with #26-51. KATU also covers the turnout issue.
Update
Once the polls close (as it were), you can follow the results via the County.