passed ordinance 2025-310

Amend Small Donor Elections Code to adopt the recommendations of the Portland Elections Commission (amend Code Chapter 2.16)

elections government
code amendment
proclamation

Department: Small Donor Elections
Service area: City Operations
Introduced by: Mayor Keith Wilson
Status: Passed

Impact statement

Purpose & background

As recommended by the Portland Elections Commission, this ordinance aligns city election cycle timelines with new state timelines, aligns the match cap for the Auditor’s election with the amount needed to mount a competitive bid for that office, ensures penalties are paid in accordance with administrative rules, permits campaigns to collect allowable contributions prior to filing notice, and delegates to the Portland Elections Commission whether to except contributions from candidates from certification threshold requirements and to find a way to enable candidates who ran for a different office to participate in Small Donor Elections without penalty if they later run for city office in the same election cycle.

Financial impacts

Not applicable.

Economic impacts

Not applicable.

Community impacts

This ordinance is based on recommendations from the Portland Elections Commission, an advisory body composed of members who collectively reflect the diversity of Portland and have related subject matter expertise. The recommendations were created after conducting deep user experience research and quantitative campaign finance data research, all of which is published in a public report on the program’s website.

▸ Full text (the legislation as adopted)

The City of Portland ordains. Section 1. The Council finds: The City Charter requires the Independent Portland Elections Commission to implement the Small Donor Elections program. The Commission analyzes the performance of the Small Donor Elections program after each election cycle, using user experience research and quantitative campaign finance data. The Commission makes recommendations on improving the Small Donor Elections program and keep it aligned with a constantly changing electoral and campaign finance landscape. The Independent Portland Elections Commission concluded in their analysis of the performance of the Small Donor Elections program in the 2024 election cycle that, with adequate funding and their recommendations implemented, the Small Donor Elections program is “well positioned to ensure Portland’s democracy is increasingly fair, reflective, equitable, and inclusive, experiences high participation among multiple measures, and results in a government that is increasingly accountable to all Portlanders.” The Code amendments are necessary to adopt changes the Commission recommended, to improve the program, by aligning its timeline with new state law, aligning the program design with the campaign finance landscape, and preventing challenges that emerged in the last election cycle from recurring. NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs: Amend City Code Chapter 2.16 as shown in Exhibit A.

Tally

11 yea 1 nay