FILE - Voters wait to pick up ballots and vote at the Multnomah County Elections Division office in Portland in a file photo. An audit says the county building may need to be replaced.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Multnomah County’s elections department needs some stabilizing ahead of another unorthodox election cycle, according to the county auditor’s office.
An audit released Thursday finds the county’s Election Division needs more funding for voter education programs, is falling short on supporting employees, and may need a new office – among other concerns.
But County Auditor Jennifer McGuirk urged that this report shouldn’t weaken voters’ trust in the local election system.
“What we found is a great commitment to making sure every vote is counted, that voters’ wishes are respected and that elections are carried out with integrity,” McGuirk told OPB.
The audit comes at a pivotal time: a little over a year after the county office administered Portland’s first ranked-choice election and eight months before Multnomah County holds its first ranked-choice election.
The audit finds that the county elections office succeeded in carrying out Portland’s crowded ranked-choice election in November 2024. This success was measured by the swiftness in which elections staff processed ballots and voter turnout, which was comparable to previous general election cycles. Auditors also praised the department’s work educating voters on the new voting system, an effort that relied on city staff and funds. The report points to a FM3 Research poll that found most Portland voters understood how to navigate the new voting system.
But this level of voter education is at risk, the audit notes. The county eliminated its Voter Education and Outreach program due to budget cuts this year. McGuirk worries what that will mean for voters who didn’t participate in Portland’s last election.
“Multnomah County includes Gresham, Fairview, Troutdale, Wood Village, and a number of unincorporated areas,” she said. “Those voters didn’t have the opportunity to receive the education that Portland voters received around how to do ranked choice voting. That’s what we’re concerned about.”
The current county budget does include $100,000 in grant dollars for community organizations to do their own voter outreach. But McGuirk’s audit pushed county leaders to reinstate an internal voter education program.
Staffing is a central focus of the audit. The report finds that, with 14 full-time staff, Multnomah County’s Elections Division has far fewer employees per capita than other similarly-sized counties. This has led to staff feeling stretched thin and overworked, especially during election season. This pressure – combined with the growing stress of working for an elections department in a highly politicized national climate – has also contributed to a pattern of quick staff turnover rates.
“Inadequate training and staff turnover can increase the risk of election errors and in turn, erode public trust in elections,” the audit reads.
Perhaps the most financially impactful audit finding is the recommendation to find a new elections office.
“We found that the Election Division’s main facility limits access to voters and staff and there isn’t enough space in the main facility to process ballots during large elections,” the audit reads.
The current office, at Southeast 10th Ave. and Morrison St., is 100 years old and unable to handle needed structural updates, like a new elevator. Auditors also say the building lacks enough space for vehicles to efficiently unload and process ballots, forcing the county to rent extra warehouse space to use during elections.
McGuirk knows that replacing this building could be costly. But she said it’s necessary.
“That building was just not built for modern elections,” she said. “The county’s going to have to do something about that, and I want to help prepare the public for that.”
