5-16-2022 Newsletter

 

BALLOTS DUE TOMORROW, MAY 17 If you haven't received your ballot, contact Clatsop County Elections at 503-325-8605 or go to the office at 820 Exchange, #200, Astoria. Non-affiliated voters do not get to vote in Democratic, Republican, or other political party primaries, only in non-partisan races, including county commissioners and head of Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries.  Voting info from Oregon's Secretary of State, Shemia Fagan: "If you mail your ballot, make sure it is picked up by USPS and postmarked by May 17. Visit Sos.oregon.gov/electioninfo for more information on voting in Oregon, election integrity and answers to frequently asked questions. "Oregon’s new postmark rule states that any ballot postmarked by Election Day counts even if it arrives at the election office up to 7 days later. The postmark rule was passed into law by the State Legislature in 2021....[R]emember that the total number of votes in the election will go up after Election Day. These are not “late” votes. They were cast on time! Close races may take longer to be decided while officials count all the ballots." Scroll down for information about the candidates. BE A VOTER!

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS IN OREGON "Oregon state law expressly affirms an individuals’ right to choose an abortion without interference from the government. "The Reproductive Health Equity Act, updated in 2017, allows for late-term abortions, requires private medical insurance and state Medicaid to cover an abortion, and codifies the right to gender-affirming care, among other protections. Ours is among the strongest reproductive choice policies in the nation. Because health access in Oregon is governed by laws enacted by its state Legislature, rather than by a court’s interpretation of the state constitution, a sudden change to those policies is unlikely. "Oregonians have shown little interest in changing the state’s policies. Five ballot measures restricting abortion have been rejected by voters since 1986. In 2014, 63 percent of Oregon adults said they thought abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to polling done by the Pew Research Center." -- State Representative David Gomberg, HD 10, newsletter, May 9, 2022 BE A VOTER!

LET THE MARCH BEGIN May 14, 2022  •  Astoria

Kudos to the hundreds of people who marched in Astoria for reproductive rights, joining with thousands more at about 400 marches around the country. Thanks to Erica Berry for initiating and organizing this community event. More photos here.  BE A VOTER!

NEW MEETING TIME Starting next month, INCO's South County Community Group (SCCG) will meet the SECOND THURSDAY of each month. The next meeting is June 9, 6:30pm - 7:30pm. Please RSVP to Kathleenannmacdonald@yahoo.com thru Wednesday, June 8 for your Zoom link. BE A VOTER!

WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES? CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR OPB interviewed candidates for governor, asking each of them the same questions. Read the interviews with the two leading Democratic candidates, Tobias Read and Tina Kotek. The other interviews can be found in this list:  https://www.opb.org/politics/.  There's more gubernatorial candidate info these videos, in "In Their Own Words." CANDIDATES FORUMS Check out candidates in this virtual forum recently hosted by Clatsop County Democrats, or in this video of the AAUW candidates forum.   PAM WEV FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER INCO endorsed Pam Wev for re-election as Clatsop County Commissioner, District 3. Get more info at www.wevforcommissioner.com and on Facebook at Re-elect Pamela Wev. To display a yard sign to re-elect Pam, sign up here. Donate or volunteer at her website.

BE A VOTER!

THE BIG SEND IS BACK Handwritten letters to voters are a proven, effective tactic to increase voter turnout. INCO is delighted to be part of Vote Forward’s The Big Send again this year to send 10 million letters to voters in key states and congressional districts ahead of the midterms this fall.  We’re writing voter turnout letters now to send to voters in October. If you aren’t writing letters already, get started today by visiting thebigsend.org. INCO can provide supplies and postage, so contact incoregon@gmail.com if you want more details.   BE A VOTER!

SHAPING OUR DESTINY "Those who are trying to push this nation backward are not only on the wrong side — they’re on the wrong side of the future. Look at the beliefs of the younger generations of Americans on all these issues. Look at how young people think around the world. Look at where the dominant cultural forces are. We should not underestimate the strength we have to push back against this march of destruction.... "I also know that it can yield the strength that is needed to not quit, to keep going, to understand that the future will unfold in ways that are completely unpredictable. And yet in that uncertainty lies an opportunity — I would call it a duty — to step into the fight and do our part to shape our destiny along a framework of hope." -- Dan Rather, "Steady," May 11, 2022 BE A VOTER!

ACT TO SAVE DEMOCRACY Write To Voters - Elections and issue campaigns need you year-round. INCO encourages you to sign up to write to voters at www.postcardstovoters.org. For general Get Out the Vote letter campaigns, sign up at Vote Forward. For prepped postcards, stamps, or information, contact incoregon@gmail.com. Write a Letter to the Editor (LTE) - LTEs in the Astorian can inform voters and promote voting. You don't have to be an expert, just someone who cares about an issue. Write a few sentences or more, up to 250 words. Send to editor@dailyastorian.com, along with your name, address, and phone. Your  ballot is due May 17.  Be a voter! Encourage others to vote, too!

HAPPENINGS  Saturday, May 21 - INCO Astoria-North County Community Group Zoom meeting, 11 am - noon. If you are new to this group, contact incoregon@gmail.com by May 20 to get the Zoom link. Thursday, June 9 - INCO South County Community Group Zoom meeting, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm. Please RSVP to Kathleenannmacdonald@yahoo.com thru Wednesday, June 8 for your Zoom link. Starting in June, this group meets monthly on the second Thursday. INCO Warrenton Community Group Zoom meeting. TBA. Contact incoregon@gmail.com for more information. Every Friday - INCO Write to Voters (WTV), via Zoom, 3-4 pm. Informal chat while we write letters and postcards to voters. If you are new to this event, contact incoregon@gmail.com to get the Zoom link. NO WTV on Friday, June 3.

INSIGHTS "Dictatorships elevate the nation and the leader as ultimate ends, while mere individuals have no inherent worth outside of their service to the state.”  -- Shadi Hamid, The Atlantic, April, 2022

Comments, news, and photos to INCO at incoregon@gmail.com.  Resources and other information at www.incoregon.org and www.indivisible.org. Encourage others to sign up for the INCO newsletter at our website or here. Look for the INCO column in Hipfish Monthly. We're on Facebook, too. INCO Weekly Newsletter May 16, 2022