Frequently asked questions about voting.

Chances are that elections for chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon are unlike any other election you’ve voted in before. This FAQ is here to help first-time voters, newcomers to the process, and veteran SCC members who would like a refresher.

  • The chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon (DPO) is elected every two years by members of the party’s State Central Committee (SCC). This takes place at a meeting in the first quarter following each even-year general election, and this year that meeting is on March 16th in Corvallis, Oregon. A candidate for chair needs to receive a majority (over 50%) of all of the votes cast by members of the SCC. In elections with multiple candidates, sometimes multiple rounds of runoff voting will be required before a candidate will receive the magic number of votes to win.

    In a runoff voting system, the candidate with the fewest votes in the first round of voting will be eliminated from the ballot and another round of voting will start without that candidate. If a candidate receives over 50% of the votes on the second round, they’ll win, and if not, the process repeats until a candidate gets a majority.

  • The Democratic Party of Oregon’s State Central Committee (SCC) is made up of party leaders from across the state. Members come from various roles within the party—some are automatically members due to their positions, such as chairs of congressional district committees, constituency caucuses, or local county parties.

    Most SCC members are elected at their local county party meetings. Each county elects at least two delegates, with additional delegates allocated based on the number of registered Democrats—one additional delegate for every 15,000 registered Democrats (or major fraction thereof) as of the May primary in a general election year. In total, 137 SCC seats are filled through county elections.

    Because Oregon’s counties vary in population and party registration, representation on the SCC differs by county. For example, Multnomah County has 21 delegates, while smaller counties may have just two.

  • YES. You can attend the SCC meeting virtual. If you or any of your delegation would like to vote virtually, the chair of your delegation will need to approve your credential request as soon as you are able.

    Virtual credential requests are due by EOD Monday, March 10th.