Today is the very last day to vote. But vote on what? If you haven’t noticed from the phone calls, class reps, signs, canvassing volunteers, unofficial drop boxes, Twitter and Facebook updates, or constant TV and radio advertisements, there’s a special election going on in Oregon right now. Special elections are normally not known for heavy voter turnout, but the stakes of this election are high enough to ensure that hundreds of thousands of Oregonians will cast a vote for the future of Oregon.
The statewide ballot being distributed right now is very simple. It has only a front and a back, with spaces to answer “Yes” or “No” to two questions about whether or not to approve Measures 66 and 67. Though it may seem like such a short ballot can’t be powerful, nothing could be further from the truth. The outcome of these two measures will determine the fate of $730 million in revenue that has already been apportioned to education, public safety, a tax break on unemployment benefits and other services. This revenue would be funded by two different taxes: Measure 66 would approve a tax increase of 1.8 percent on every dollar over $250,000 earned annually by an Oregon household; Measure 67 would approve an increase in the minimum tax that corporations must pay from $10 to $150, as well as a 1.3 percent tax increase for businesses that do not qualify for the corporate minimum tax.
You’ve probably already heard many arguments from supporters and opponents of the ballot measures about the ramifications of voting “Yes” or “No.” Both sides make very different arguments, but one thing they agree on is that Measures 66 and 67 will have a huge impact on the state of Oregon. Because of this, it’s more important than ever that University students stand up and have their voices heard on this critical issue. The outcome of Measures 66 and 67 will greatly shape Oregon’s future, and students deserve the opportunity to help determine their fate.
Already student involvement in this election has been astounding. The statewide Student Vote Coalition registered more than 14,000 students to vote this year, including more than 5,000 at the University. Volunteers have been reaching out to thousands of students through phone calls and class reps to encourage students to have a voice in determining the future of their state. Ballots have been flooding in to official drop boxes, as well as been collected by volunteers looking to save students a stamp or a trip to an official drop box.
We are expecting to see an extremely high turnout in this election in what is sure to be a very close vote. A difference of just a few votes either way could determine the outcome of both ballot measures.
As we said earlier, this is the absolute last day to make sure your voice is heard in this special election. It’s still not too late to vote in this election — by 8 p.m. tonight, all you need to do is drop off your ballot in an official white drop box, including the one near the ASUO office outside the Erb Memorial Union, or hand it in to a trustworthy volunteer drop box. Just make sure you sign the back of the envelope to make sure your vote is valid.
With $730 million on the line, the stakes for this election couldn’t be higher. Don’t you deserve to have a voice in Oregon’s future?
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