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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016
Motor Voter registered 272,202 new voters this year
Turnout rate
exceeded
expectations
By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE
Capital Bureau
SALEM — Through November
of this year, 272,202 Oregonians
were registered to vote through the
state’s new automatic registration
program, state officials announced
Monday.
Of those registered through the
initiative, referred to as Motor Voter,
about 226,904 were registered in
time to vote in November’s election
and more than 97,000 of them cast
a ballot.
The Secretary of State’s Office
said in a statement that such a turn-
out rate — about 44 percent —
among those automatically regis-
tered exceeded the expectations of
elections experts.
With approximately 20 days left
in her tenure, Secretary of State
Jeanne Atkins was at the Capitol
Monday during the Legislature’s
final interim session of the year to
tout the results of Motor Voter.
At a press conference in Gov.
Kate Brown’s office, Atkins stood
Claire Withycombe/EO Media Group
Gov. Kate Brown and Secretary of State Jean Atkins used bags of ha-
zelnuts Monday to represent the number of new voters registered under
the Motor Voter law. According to the Secretary of State’s Office, 272,202
new voters were registered under the law for the November election.
behind large bags of hazelnuts,
which were intended to reflect the
number of new Motor Voters.
“Like hazelnuts, this program
is uniquely Oregon,” Atkins said.
“Unlike hazelnuts, automatic voter
registration can grow and expand
anywhere in America.”
Oregon is the first state to imple-
ment such a program. Oregonians
who have contact with the Driver
and Motor Vehicle Services Divi-
sion and are legally eligible to vote
are now automatically registered.
They can choose a party affiliation,
or remain nonaffiliated. Oregonians
can opt out of registration altogether.
In testimony before the Senate
Rules Committee Monday, Atkins
said before Motor Voter, relatively
fewer eligible Oregonians were reg-
istering to vote, and therefore fewer
eligible Oregonians were participat-
ing in elections.
Atkins also expressed confidence
in the state’s election process in a
year when, she noted, the process
itself has been under heightened
scrutiny.
Two cases of allegedly fraudu-
lent registration have been referred
to the state Department of Jus-
tice, and one instance was related
to Motor Voter, Atkins said during
Monday’s meeting.
Secretary of State-elect Dennis
Richardson does not plan to make
significant changes to the program,
a spokesman said Monday.
However, Richardson, a former
state legislator from Central Point,
expressed concerns about ensuring
adequate funding for the program.
In a statement, Richardson, the
first Republican to be elected sec-
retary of state in decades, said that
while access to voting is “crucial to
serving the public good,” he wanted
to make sure there was enough
money for it.
“We must now work to ensure
adequate funding supports the 36
counties across our state so local
elections clerks can be fully success-
ful on (sic) this important work,” his
statement said.
The program has meant addi-
tional costs for county offices.
Motor Voter’s additional regis-
trants meant more costs for postage
and temporary employees in Uma-
tilla County, according to Umatilla
County Clerk Kim Lindell.
Between 2015 and 2016, the
number of registered voters in Uma-
tilla County leapt nearly 22 per-
cent, according to data the Secretary
of State’s Office compiled for its
Wednesday presentation to the Leg-
islature’s Emergency Board.
The Secretary of State’s Office
has calculated $5,727 in reim-
bursements to Umatilla County
— 15 cents for every active regis-
tered voter in 2016. Lindell said the
approximate cost of the election to
the county was $47,168, a $7,549
increase from the 2014 general
election.
The Capital Bureau is a collab-
oration between EO Media Group
and Pamplin Media Group.
Larson: Funeral service will take place Friday in Seaside
Continued from Page 1A
“He was more than willing
to reach out to anybody, whether
they agreed with him or not,”
Winstanley said. “He talked to
people, included people — he
was a marvelous mayor. The
city of Seaside couldn’t have
been luckier to have him and
it’s certainly a great loss.”
Among his accomplish-
ments as mayor, Larson pointed
to a skate park, a new library
and the North Holladay Drive
renovation, the boat ramp at
Broadway Park and upgrades to
city buildings. During his time
as mayor, the city built four
bridges to tsunami standards
and the Recycling Center on
Avenue S.
Larson was married to
the former Lois Kolden since
March 1961.
Flags in Seaside will be low-
ered to half-staff in honor of
Mayor Larson.
He is also survived by sons
David, Duane and daughter
Lorraine and seven grandchil-
dren, all of whom live in the
Portland area.
“Although we knew this
was coming with Mayor Lar-
son, it still hits you with a jolt,”
City Councilor Tita Montero
said. “There’s a measure of sad-
ness at this Christmastime. We
will miss him in this city. He
was a wonderful ambassador
for Seaside.”
“He always cared so much
about the city of Seaside,” Win-
stanley said. “We were certainly
honored to have served with
him.”
A funeral service will take
place at 11:30 a.m. Friday at
North Coast Family Fellow-
ship, 2245 N. Wahanna in
Seaside.
Mayor Don
Larson at a
visioning ses-
sion in 2013.
The Daily Astorian
File Photo
Barber: New mayor and his wife
have lived in Seaside since 2006
Continued from Page 1A
That nomination was sec-
onded and unanimously
endorsed by councilors.
Barber then took the oath
of office, administered by City
Manager Mark Winstanley.
“I’m humbled to sit in this
chair,” Barber said. “Don Lar-
son served in this chair for 14
years. He not only served in
this chair, but he served in this
community in a way I don’t
think anybody in the city of
Seaside has been able to do.
I’m honored to have the oppor-
tunity to serve the community
and with this great council.”
California mayor
Barber, a retired college
president, foundation director
and ordained minister, served
as a councilor and two-term
mayor in Red Bluff, Califor-
nia, a position which, he said,
gave him experience dealing
with the public.
He and his wife Jan have
‘I’m honored to
have the opportunity to
serve the community and
with this great council.’
Jay Barber
Seaside mayor
lived full time in Seaside since
2006.
Barber was selected in
2009 to fill the unexpired
council term of the late Gary
Diebolt. Barber won election
for Ward 1 in 2010 and again
in 2014.
“I think we will be very
well served with Jay,” City
Councilor Tita Montero said,
a sentiment echoed by coun-
cilors Randy Frank, Seth Mor-
risey and Dana Phillips.
Among his first order of
business, Barber presided over
the third and final reading of
an ordinance raising Seaside’s
lodging tax. The increase hikes
the rate from 8 percent to 10
percent and will be used to
fund renovations at the Sea-
side Civic and Convention
Center.
Johnson, who served his
last meeting after his loss to
Tom Horning in the Novem-
ber election, was honored
by councilors for 18 years
of service with a plaque and
remembrance.
“Thank you for your excep-
tional knowledge and willing-
ness to give so much time in
making Seaside a better place
now and in the future,” Barber
said in presenting the plaque to
Johnson.
Water: Customers are urged to share
info with others who drink city water
Continued from Page 1A
The violation was tied to
the construction of the Spur 14
water source from a creek that
produces the cleanest water in
the Bear Creek watershed, the
city’s water supply.
The project was supposed
to be completed in October,
according to the Public Works
Department, but has been
pushed back to December.
The city has been using the
Main Lake water source during
the project, because the Mid-
dle Lake source had to be taken
offline. Middle Lake typically
has the best water in the fall and
early winter.
The city used a higher than
normal amount of chlorine
this fall to treat organic matter
in the Main Lake water. The
interaction between the chlo-
rine and the organic matter pro-
duces what are known as disin-
fection byproducts, which are
contaminants.
In November, the city
exceeded the maximum con-
taminant level for the quarter,
readings that pushed an annual
average in one category —
haloacetic acids 5 — above the
threshold for the year. The stan-
dard for HAA5 is 0.060 milli-
grams to liter, and the city was
at 0.062 milligrams to liter.
The city is now using Mid-
dle Lake water, so public works
officials believe disinfection
byproduct levels will drop back
to acceptable concentrations.
According to a draft of the
notification letter, people who
drink water in excess of the
maximum contaminant level
for many years may have an
increased risk of cancer.
Customers are urged to
share the information with oth-
ers who drink city water but
may not receive the notification
letter, such as people in apart-
ments, nursing homes, schools
and businesses.
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