News

Postcard will explain election error

Marion County will send notices about incorrect envelopes

DENNIS THOMPSON
Statesman Journal

September 8, 2006

Marion County will mail thousands of oversized postcards this weekend that explain a serious error that could invalidate a Sept. 19 special election on 35 proposed Salem annexations.

The postcards say that election mailing envelopes received by most voters early this week erroneously said that the ballot inside "Contains Vote On Proposed Tax Increase," Marion County Clerk Bill Burgess said.

That is not true. The annexations would not result in a tax increase for any Salem voters.

Burgess aims to have about 60,000 postcards in the mail by late today, one for every Salem voter registered in Marion County. The postcard also is on the county clerk's Web site.

"Our goal is to have it noticeable, professional and with no bias whatsoever, informing people that we erred on allowing the tax verbiage on the envelope, so they will know this is indeed not a tax-increase election," he said.

Salem officials are concerned that the message will lead people to fear a tax increase and automatically vote down the proposed annexations.

Voters began receiving the ballots early this week. Salem City Manager Bob Wells said the city received at least one call from someone who voted against the annexations because of the tax-increase notice on the mailing envelope.

"They were upset and wanted to revote," Wells said.

That is not possible if a person already has filled out a ballot and placed it in the mail or an official drop box, Burgess said.

However, if a person has marked a ballot but it still is in his or her possession, he or she can receive a replacement ballot from elections officials and change their vote, Burgess said.

Ballots already have started returning to the elections office, but processing has not begun, Burgess said.

City officials are urging voters to participate in the election despite the error.

"There's nothing we can do at this point to recall the ballots or have new ballots sent out," Wells said. "People should definitely turn in their ballots and vote."

Wells recommended that people review their voters pamphlet or go to the city of Salem and Marion County elections Web sites for detailed information about all 35 annexations.

"They just need to take the error into account, review the merits of the issue and make a decision," he said.

The city is reviewing its legal options and could challenge the election in court later if it is determined that the mistake swayed the election's outcome, Wells said.

Burgess could not say Thursday how much the postcard mailing will cost. The postcard is 8.5 inches by 5.5 inches, half of a standard-sized sheet of paper.

The mistake occurred because the county elections office's envelope supplier, Cenveo, sent the wrong envelopes to a firm hired to assemble the ballot packets and mail them, Burgess said.

County elections officials visited the mailing firm, Mid-Valley Presort & Mail, to inspect all pieces of the ballot packet, Burgess said. The officials did not notice the tax message on the mailing envelope.

The front of the postcard urges the recipient to "Review Immediately." The back explains the mistaken statement on the original envelope.

"This statement does not apply to the annexation measures on the ballot that was enclosed," the explanatory postcard reads. "The Marion County Elections Division used this envelope in error."

Burgess said workers in the elections office are upset about the mistake and are working hard to rectify the situation.

"This is the bedrock of the legitimacy of government in our society," he said. "It's a very serious and unnerving thing for us."