PORTLAND, Ore. — Tuesday, Nov. 2 is a special election day for some communities in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Residents will vote on a handful of measures and races, including whether commissioners in Harney County should be allowed to discuss a change to Oregon's border, a tax increase for diners at restaurants in Cannon Beach and Newport, a ban of short-term rentals in unincorporated Lincoln County, a mayoral race in Vancouver and funding for juvenile detention centers, jails and body cameras for sheriff's deputies in Clark County.
Oregonians need to drop off their ballots by 8 p.m. Tuesday. It's too late to send a ballot in by mail in Oregon, so voters will need to take their ballot to an official drop box. Click here to find a nearby ballot box. Starting next year, ballots postmarked on election day will count in Oregon, which is already the way it is in Washington.
Here's a look at some of the measures and races on the ballot in Oregon and Southwest Washington:
Oregon
Another 'Greater Idaho' vote
A group called Move Oregon's Border has been trying to do exactly that, move Oregon's border to form a new state called Greater Idaho.
This is what the proposed map looks like:
So far, seven of Oregon's 36 counties have voted in favor of their county commissioners discussing the idea: Baker, Grant, Jefferson, Lake, Malheur, Sherman and Union.
On Tuesday, Harney County will decide whether to join in. Even if they vote in favor, it's not likely Oregon's border will change anytime soon. To actually make this happen, it would first require approval from the state legislature and then Congress.
New restaurant tax on Oregon coast
People who live in Cannon Beach and Newport will vote on what's called a "prepared food tax" in restaurants. It would add an extra 5% to a diner's bill. The money would go to fund police, fire departments and libraries and other services.
Vacation rental ban in Lincoln County
Voters in Lincoln County will decide whether to ban short-term vacation rentals, like Airbnb and Vrbo. If approved, they would be phased out over five years. The move would apply only to unincorporated Lincoln County, so larger towns in the county, like Newport and Lincoln City, would not be included.
Southwest Washington
Vancouver mayoral race
KGW talked to both candidates for the mayoral race in Vancouver to get their closing pitch to voters.
Incumbent Anne-McEnerny-Ogle was the top vote-getter in the May primary. She cites her four decades of public service as the type of experience people in Vancouver want. She also pointed to her progress as mayor in public safety and other areas.
"For the last 41 years I've been working in this community to keep it safe and welcoming and prosperous and vibrant," McEnerny-Ogle said. "We're in the middle of some incredible work, we're doing lots of things with our community, our citizens, residents, businesses."
Challenger Earl Bowerman has one thing on his mind: hiring more police officers. He wants to improve what he sees as a public safety problem.
"I'm hands-on oriented, results-oriented and I think public safety is the No. 1 priority," Bowerman said. "And dealing with people who cause problems, in terms of not being able to walk downtown at night or in the afternoon, and people that cause fear when you’re around them. I think we need to take a close look at our budget and prioritize what's important."
Read more about the Vancouver mayoral race in the Washington State Elections and Clark County Voters' Pamphlet on page 44.
Body cams
A proposition in Clark County would fund juvenile detention facilities and jails in the county with a new county sales tax. Supporters say that general funds currently spent on detention facilities and jails would be freed up and used to pay for body cameras for Clark County sheriff's deputies.
Last April, Clark County councilors signed off on a plan to put 150 body cameras on deputies, as well as on the dashboards of their patrol cars.
If approved, Proposition 10 would create a new 0.1% sales tax, or $.10 for every $100 spent. The tax would fund juvenile detention facilities and jails in Clark County. Supporters say it would free up general funds to pay for body cameras for county deputies and any associated operational expenses. The tax would last for 10 years, through March 31, 2032.
Opponents say Proposition 10 wouldn't fund dashboard cameras and is not the right way to pay for body cameras for deputies. Opponents say the proposition is a tax increase that will fund the construction of a larger jail.
Read more about Proposition 10 in the Washington State Elections and Clark County Voters' Pamphlet on pages 106 and 107.
Vancouver is already planning to launch its own body camera program for the city's police officers next year. That would be separate from the sheriff's deputies program.
School tax levy in Battle Ground
The Battle Ground Public School District has a levy on the ballot in Tuesday's election. If it fails, the district said it will be forced to cut dozens of positions, leading to larger class sizes. Programs like music, art and theater would go away.
Opponents of the levy say schools already get enough of their tax dollars and they can't afford to fork over more.
KGW's Ashley Korslien took a closer look at a big battle in a small town over school funding. Watch the video below to learn more.