COM 0967.000 1996-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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http.//www. sos. state. o.../vbmcc. study/n,. rtm http:/twww. sos.state.o.. Jvbmcc. studyAnbo. REPORT OF THE VOTE-BY-MAIL CITIZEN COMMISSION September 19, 1996 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The mission of the Vote-by-Mail Citizen Commission is to analyze and evaluate the administration and impacts of vote-by-mail and its use in primary and general elections and to report and make recommendations to the appropriate bodies. INTRODUCTION in November 1995, Secretary of State Phil Keisling appointed a twelve-member citizen commission to evaluate Oregon's practice of voting by mail. Members represented a cross-section of opinion on the policy of mail-ballot elections and of experience in the public and private sectors. The Commission delineated the issues and areas of inquiry they wished to pursue, identified information sources and gathered previous research and reports on the topic. Oregon's special U.S. Senate elections had generated nation-wide interest. Several political and social science researchers who are studying the special U.S. Senate elections shared their findings with the Commission. Groups and constituencies from around the state provided their opinions and perceptions about vote-by-mail. (See Appendices A, B.)The Commission held eight meetings with the opportunity for public comment. They focused on elections procedures, voter satisfaction and participation in vote-by-mail and polling place elections and the impact of voting methods on campaigns and candidates. Findings and discussions of all these issues culminated in the Commission's conclusion concerning whether the practice of voting by mail should be extended to primary and general elections in Oregon. Previous Paae Next Paae Return to Table of Contents Executive office Home Page