CHEMEKETA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

---

“Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

Voter Resources

Online Voter Guide - Click here for the official Oregon Voter Guide.

Votesource.org - This website has the League of Women Voters Voter Guide online with an easy to use interface.  It also has instructions on how to vote and other great resources.

Ballot Drop Sites - Here you can find the closest drop site to you.  Click on your county and you will see a list of drop sites in your area.

Voting is So Easy

Especially since you live in Oregon, where we practice a vote-by-mail system. What does this mean for you? No wasting valuable time waiting in line at the polls in the Oregon drizzle, Instead, pull up a chair at home, relax, and take your sweet time weighing the issues and candidates.

1. Register to Vote
Do it online. It’ll only take a few minutes. Just print, sign and mail.
2. Receive the Ballot
Two to three weeks before the election, you’ll receive your ballot in the mail.
3. Fill out the Ballot
Place it in the secrecy envelope. Lick it. Seal it. Sign it.
4. Mail the Ballot
Put on a stamp and drop it in the mail before the deadline. You can also take your ballot to an election office in your area.

Calendar of Events

Additional information about upcoming political events and scheduling at Chemeketa can be obtained by emailing Peter Starr, Civic Engagement Coordinator at pstarr1@chemeketa.edu

October 1st – Pizza and Politics - “The Importance of Voting” with Peter Starr, Civic Engagement Coordinator, Multicultural Center, 1:30 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.

October 2nd – Making the Case for Good Governance - 2008 Election Forum with Secretary of State and Marion County Clerk Candidates with Kate Brown, Rick Dancer, and Seth Woolley for Secretary of State, and Bill Burgess and Randy Franke for Marion County Clerk, Building 2, Student Center, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

October 8th – Pizza and Politics - "Free Trade, Human Rights, and Immigration Reform" with Bishop Medardo E. Gomez-Soto and Carrie Tracy of the Northwest Federation of Community Organizers, Multicultural Center, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

October 10th – Mix and Mash Voter Registration Drive - All-day campus voter registration drive followed by 50 bands at 20 venues in the greater Salem area, Building 2, Lobby, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

October 14th – Last Day to Register to Vote - Visit Building 2 to register to vote before the 5 pm deadline! Building 2, Lobby, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

October 15th – Pizza and Politics - “Educational Issues in the 2008 Election” with Richard Riggs, Candidate for State Representative, Multicultural Center, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

October 16th – Pizza and Politics - “Educational Issues in the 2008 Election” with Vicki Berger, Candidate for State Representative, Multicultural Center, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

October 22nd – Pizza and Politics - “Making Sense of the Ballot Measures” with the League of Women Voters, Multicultural Center, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

November 4th – Election Day Celebration - Join the Chemeketa Community for an afternoon of election results, Building 2, Student Center, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

November 5th – Pizza and Politics / Brown Bag Forum - “After the Election, What Now?”  with Taylor Marrow, Director of Diversity and Equity, and Peter Starr, Civic Engagement Coordinator, Multicultural Center, 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Voting an essential slice of democracy.

Peter Starr is worried that voters are going to have sore necks come Election Day 2008.

With all the fireworks surrounding national issues and candidates, Starr is concerned voters will only look at only the top of the ballot, while some of the issues and candidates that could have the most direct impact on local lives go unnoticed.

"You probably wouldn't be able to walk into the office of John McCain or Barack Obama and get any time with them," said Starr, Chemeketa Community College's civic engagement coordinator, during the first Pizza and Politics event Wednesday, Oct. 1. "That's the big difference between national and local elections. Not only is it easier to access local candidates, they want to hear from you."

Starr's talk focused on the importance of voting, and motivating others to register to vote. He encouraged those in attendance to vote on the entire ballot, and vote from a place of understanding. To bolster that effort, Starr and Chemeketa are hosting Pizza and Politics events each Wednesday until the day after the election, and a debate at the college between the candidates for the secretary of state and Marion County clerk.

"A lot of us don't even know what a secretary of the state does, much less who to vote for," said Starr. "We have to be educated before we can make informed decisions."

Many of the local issues can be put into context of the national scene, he added.

"In November, we'll all be asked to decide whether investments in public education, the Salem-Keizer School District bond, and public transit, Cherriotts, are worth the expense it will require. In the bigger picture, we have to decide whether times or are too tumultuous to be making those investments, or whether those investments might pay off in the long run."

Registering others to vote invites individuals to be part of that decision-making process, he said.

"For a lot of people, voting is simply a matter of getting a voter registration card in their hands, especially in Oregon, where ballots are sent and can be returned by mail," Starr said.

As a representative of the college, Starr cannot endorse measures or candidates, but voter registration is a cause he holds dear. In March 2008, when he was hired as the college's civic engagement coordinator, only 17 percent of the student body was registered to vote. Before the registration cutoff for the May primary, he and his team of students registered another 500-600.

"We don't care who a person votes for or which measures they choose to support, all we care is that people are participating and taking advantage of having a voice they have in government," he said.

What Do you Think?

Brandon Sorensen, 20
Sophomore

Are you registered to vote? No, but I plan to soon.

What national issue is most important to you?
Well that’s a tough question because most people would look at the immediate issues that the media brings to our attention. But for me, being someone who likes to enjoy the outdoors, it would be the environmental issues that are on the top of my list. It’s the environment after all that will ultimately have the biggest effect on not only our nation, but the world.

How do you feel our government is serving the public interest?
I think as a nation the majority of our government officials are slow to identify our real problems and they seem to take an even longer amount of time before they do anything about it.

---

Jose Hernandez, 18
Freshman

Are you registered to vote? Yes!

What national issue is most important to you?
There are many issues going on, but the ones that are most important to me are immigration and the environment.

How do you feel our government is serving the public interest?
I think they understand some of the issues, and others they don’t, But all in all, I think they do an alright job.

---

Jaxon Saunders, 20
Sophomore

Are you registered to vote? Yes.

What national issue is most important to you?
The biggest issue in my mind is the nation’s economy and the struggles that we’re facing.

How do you feel our government is serving the public interest?
I feel that our public interests are being ignored and that the gap between the rich and the poor is growing at an exponential rate. For example, Exxon Mobile had a 10 billion dollar profit for this quarter, while the common people are paying nearly $3.50 a gallon.