Elections 2022
(The following information is provided as a public service on behalf of the West Linn Alliance voter education campaign. All positions represented below are those of the candidate.)
Office Sought: Clackamas County Clerk
The County Clerk is a critical link between citizens and their local government. A primary duty of the office is to ensure all eligible voters have equal access to the ballot box. We need a resilient local elections system where disability, language, and homelessness are not barriers to voting. Regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, or socio-economic situation, all citizens need equal voices in electing our government officials. Your vote counts.
I am committed to providing Clackamas County with a robust, secure, and transparent elections system. As County Clerk, I will ensure we have procedures and planning in place so climate disasters like wildfires and floods will not interfere with access to voting. We will get ballots to voters who have been displaced by emergency in the same way that the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) codified our responsibility to voters with disabilities.
I am committed to building trust within our communities and establishing needed voter education services, providing factual information about voting and Oregon’s Vote-by-Mail system. I will empower diverse voices in local decision-making, working in partnership with community leaders and stakeholders to strengthen the many communities that make up the rich diversity found in our county.
I am an active member of the West Linn Alliance, an organization focused on promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. I am an elections administrator; created the first Voter Education and Outreach Program in a local government. I led the Voter Language Access Program in Portland, hiring bilingual election workers, working in partnership with language communities, and producing resources in multiple languages for voters.
I am also committed to reviving the County Clerk’s role in conducting weddings. The current clerk is no longer exercising her authority in this area since the legalization of same-sex marriages. As County Clerk, I will officiate over civil weddings and afford everyone the right to marry. All people deserve the freedom to follow our own spiritual beliefs, pursue happiness, and establish meaningful civil relationships.
Voting is both a right and a privilege for our citizens. County Clerk elections are sometimes not as visible or widely publicized as other contests, but they are a fundamental foundation of our democracy. I urge all voters to study the candidates and issues, and vote across the ballot, including selecting the next Clackamas County Clerk. A vote for me, Catherine McMullen, is a vote for equitable, secure, and transparent elections in Clackamas County.
Website: https://clackamasvoice.org
Contact: catherine.clackamasvoice@gmail.com