Ballot Error Regarding City of Newberg Councilor Races

Ballot Error Regarding City of Newberg Councilor Races; Elections Officials Move Contest to Supplemental Election in December

See additional details on Elections Page -https://www.newbergoregon.gov/citymanager/page/elections

We regret to inform you that a ballot printing error in the Newberg City Councilor races will result in those contests being postponed to a supplemental election in December.

• You do not need to take any action. Please vote as you normally would. No other contests on the ballot will be affected. 
• If you have a city councilor race on your ballot, you can mark your choice or leave it blank as you will receive a ballot in December to vote on all city councilor races. 
• The city councilor contests will be conducted in a supplemental election in December. 
• The mayoral race is not impacted by the ballot printing error and voters should mark their choice for mayor in their November ballot.

After ballots were mailed, elections officials identified an error in the Newberg City Councilor contests. Newberg City Councilor positions are nominated by district and elected at-large, so every Councilor race district should appear on every ballot in the City. However, races for districts 2, 4 and 6 were only printed on the ballots sent to those respective districts. 

The City charter requires city councilor positions to be nominated by district but elected at large.  The City provided candidate lists to the County elections office as they have done for previous elections, without specifying that the positions were at large. County staff working on the ballots this election were not familiar with the City’s rules about at-large voting so did not infer that the positions were elected at large. Both parties are working in partnership on a solution, subject to the directive of the Oregon Elections Division.

Our goal is to have a secure election and, in order to limit voter confusion, the Oregon Secretary of State issued a directive requiring that these contests be moved to a supplemental election in December.

For additional information call (503) 537-1256.