Opposing statements sought for Nov. 2 ballot measures

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The Clark County Auditor’s Office provides a printed voters’ guide with information about candidates and ballot measures for voters to make informed decisions when voting the ballot for each primary and general election. The voters’ guide includes statements by and photographs of candidates for elective offices as well as local ballot measures with supporting and opposing statements written by citizens.

A legislative body placing a measure on the ballot can appoint a committee to write a supporting statement and another committee to write an opposing statement. Frequently, the Elections Office receives only a supporting argument for a local ballot measure. If the group cannot identify anyone to oppose the ballot measure, no opposing statement is written or submitted.

If the Elections Office does not receive a supporting or opposing statement for a local ballot measure, the Elections staff attempts to identify citizens interested in authoring such a statement. For the 2021 November general election, the Elections Office has received 14 propositions: nine charter amendments received from Clark County; a sales and use tax proposition from Clark County; a sales and use tax proposition from the City of Woodland along with a proposition changing the form of government to a council/manager form of government; a replacement levy proposition from Battle Ground School District and a sales and use tax proposition from the City of Ridgefield.

Committees have been appointed to write statements supporting all of these measures, but the nine charter amendments from the county, and the proposition from the Battle Ground School District have been unable to identify people to write statements against their measures. To review the complete text of the resolutions and ballot language for the November general election ballot, visit clarkvotes.org and follow the link to Upcoming Nov. 2, 2021 General Election Information located near the top of the page.

Any resident who is a member of the district who wants to write an opposing statement to any of these measures is asked to contact Cathie Garber of the Clark County Elections Office at 564-397-2345. Please call soon; the deadline is 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 9.

“The public is best served by providing information which presents a fair and balanced debate on the merits of local measures submitted for a vote,” said Auditor Greg Kimsey. “We urge anyone interested to help us get their opposing statements to these local measures into the voters’ guide."

CONTACT:
Cathie Garber, Elections director
564.397.2345