Oregon Measure 117 Will Increase Native Representation in Elected Office
UPDATE: Oregon’s Attempt to Introduce Ranked-Choice Voting With Measure 117 Takes a Dive at the Polls
Ranked-choice voting (RVC) is heavily endorsed by Native organizations that believe it could increase their elected office representation.
Oregon Measure 117 on Tuesday’s Ballot
Oregonians must decide on Tuesday, November 5, if they want to support the introduction of RCV. Known as Measure 117, RCV will come into operation in the 2028 elections if approved.
Voters Will Rank Candidates in Order of Preference
The ranking system even applies to the office of the President of the U.S. and the state-held positions of Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General, and Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries. It will not affect state legislative elections.
Portland Will Test RCV
Portland will be testing RCV for its city elections this year, including for the positions of mayor and city councilors.
Measure 117 has received the support of over 130 statewide organizations, including two Native nonprofits, Tribal Democracy Projects and NAYA Action Fund, as well as community-based nonprofits like Seeding Justice, More Equitable Democracy, and the Coalition of Communities of Color.
Co-founder of the Tribal Democracy project, Brian Smith, says the focus of the organization in 2024 was to support Measure 117 which they regard as a ‘more proportionate system where Natives get elected, particularly in rural areas.’
Smith believes RCV allows people to vote for values rather than strategically. Measure 117 promotes the right to choose one candidate and not rank others.
As an example, he pointed to Alaska which adopted RCV in 2020. In the 2022 election, U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, Yup’ik was elected Alaska’s first Native member of Congress.
RCV Supported by Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians
A resolution supporting RCV was approved last month at the annual convention of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) representing 57 Native nations from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Northern California, Southeast Alaska, and Western Montana.
The resolution stated that if Tribal voters can engage in the political system, ‘free from barriers that currently obstruct us,’ they can fairly and justly reclaim power and participation.
Measure 117 is also endorsed by the NAYA Action Fund, a nonprofit working for political advocacy and electoral power in partnership with Native communities in Oregon and Washington.
The executive director of NAYA, William Miller, Blackfeet, and Cherokee, says current voting methods do not create an electorate truly representative of the people, and by the people, as called for in the Constitution.
NAYA Applauds Shift Away from Current Winner-Takes-All System
He says shifting away from a winner-takes-all system offers voters more choices and the opportunity to vote in line with their values, leading to a fairer democracy.
Miller believes his people deserve to be heard and seen, and Measure 117 allows them to run for office, paving the way for them to have a voice at the table – to be heard and seen.
‘I hope that Measure 117 will usher in a new wave of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) candidates to run and win elected office,’ said Miller.
Measure 116 Also Supported by NAYA
NAYA is also endorsing Measure 116 which they believe goes together with Measure 117 to create a more equitable voting system.
Measure 116 will empower an independent commission to set salaries for high-ranking officials such as the governor, secretary of state, lawmakers, and other elected state officials instead of the current system in which politicians set their salary scales.
At present, the Oregon State Legislature pays its representatives $35,000 a year. This low salary scale makes election attractive only to wealthy or retired candidates, excluding many potential candidates, according to Miller.