NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
Page 2A
BRIEFLY
‘Motor voter’ law a
success, with a hitch
for brand new voters irst
time out is the way we’re
going to get the most partic-
ipation out of them,” she
said. “The closed primary
may not be the best example
of when this will have a very
big impact ... the real proof
of the pudding will come in
November.”
California,
Vermont
and West Virginia recently
adopted similar laws, while
it’s being considered in
another two dozen or so
other states.
That puts Oregon’s
implementation under a
national microscope, said
Jim Moore, a political
science professor at Paciic
University in Forest Grove,
Oregon, west of Portland.
What’s happened so far
suggests the irst wrinkle in
fulilling the law’s promise
of knocking down outdated
barriers to voting, Moore
said. It’s also possible, he
said, that some of the “motor
voter” registrants are indif-
ferent to politics, which was
expected.
“They’ve
in
effect
denied a choice to these
newly registered, passively
registered voters,” he said.
“It takes a bit just to actually
get someone to register to
vote, much less register
for a party and then vote.
And so it shows at this very
lowest level, these passive
registrants, they are less
engaged than the rest of the
electorate.”
Aside from automatic
registration,
Oregon’s
presidential primary has
seen unprecedented enthu-
siasm. A separate group of
roughly 145,000 Oregonians
switched to Democrat or
By KRISTENA HANSEN
Associated Press
Oregon’s landmark new
automatic voter registration
system added nearly 52,000
voters in just four months
this year, more than double
what the state has normally
seen for an entire year.
That sounds impressive,
but there’s a hitch. The
so-called “motor voter”
law — a irst in the nation
widely hailed as a way to
boost voter participation —
hasn’t made it much easier
to participate in the closed
primary on Tuesday.
Unlike the November
general election when all
voters can participate, the
presidential primary in
Oregon and some other
states is restricted only to
voters who are registered as
Republican or Democrat.
Under the new law,
Oregonians 18 and up are
automatically
registered
to vote while renewing
or applying for a driver’s
license or state ID card, but
they can’t pick a party at
that time. Instead, they’re
registered by default as
nonafiliated, and a few days
later they can choose a party
or opt out on a form sent by
mail.
Most people, however,
don’t return their forms.
As a result, three-quarters
of the motor voter registrants
are unable to vote for a pres-
idential candidate Tuesday.
Oregon Secretary of
State Jeanne Atkins, whose
agency is handling the law’s
rollout, defended the new
system.
“I certainly won’t argue
that closed primary elections
Recall petition iled against
top Harney County oficial
Republican or signed up
with those parties when they
registered to vote.
For those who registered
through motor voter, only
13,000 took that same initia-
tive.
California, which is
rolling out its motor-voter
program next year, will
allow people the option of
registering to vote and also
afiliate with a party on
driver’s license applications
at the motor vehicle depart-
ment. Party afiliation won’t
be an issue in Vermont,
where primaries are open to
all registered voters.
Atkins said it’s worth
discussing whether Oregon
should change its approach.
“We’re talking about a
data-collection change at
the department of motor
vehicles that isn’t part of
their mission — I won’t
speak for that agency,” she
said. “I’m sure legislators
will ask about that and we’ll
be happy to have the conver-
sation.”
Jonathan Brater, counsel
for the Brennan Center
for Justice’s Democracy
program at New York
University School of Law,
said the Oregon data show
how critical party afiliations
will be for other states to
consider.
“As the law is continuing
to be implemented, this is
something that will continue
to be important to keep an
eye on,” Brater said. “But
I’d also say that, looking at
the big picture ... as these
additions accumulate over
time and over multiple
elections cycles, the civic
culture in Oregon overall is
only going to get better.”
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and Dec. 25, by the EO Media Group, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801.
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SEATTLE (AP) — Drinking water tests
in Bellevue schools have found unsafe
levels of lead in the water from at least one
ixture or fountain in almost every building
in the wealthy suburban district where
nearly every building is relatively new.
School oficials are working on
replacing or repairing the troubled ixtures
which tested positive for lead above the
actionable level set by the Environmental
Protection Agency, the district told The
Associated Press Friday.
Thirteen of the district’s 16 elementary
schools had at least one ixture that tested
positive for lead above 15 parts per
billion, according to district spokeswoman
Christina Madden. All the district’s middle
schools and high schools had at least one
drinking water ixture that tested above the
EPA level.
District spokeswoman Elizabeth
Sytman said none of the schools have shut
down water fountains because the ixtures
are being ixed as soon as the trouble is
identiied. Testing is ongoing, she said,
and added that some tests that found lead
happened before this month.
The AP asked every school district in
the state if they test drinking water for lead.
Of the more than half that responded to the
request, about 60 percent said they test. Of
those, nearly 20 percent have found lead in
at least one ixture during the past decade
or so. Most made immediate repairs.
Some districts said they do not test
because all their buildings are relatively
new and they didn’t think the pipes or
ixtures could leach lead into the drinking
water. There is no state or federal law that
requires schools to test the water inside
their buildings for lead.
Bellevue has rebuilt most of its school
buildings in the years since 2003.
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — State
investigators are looking into the access
of Yakima County computers by County
Clerk Janelle Riddle’s private attorney.
According to the state Administrative
Ofice of the Courts, Riddle allowed
her attorney Joseph Thomas into the
courthouse after normal business hours on
March 19 despite county commissioners
telling her not to, The Yakima Herald-Re-
public reported.
Commissioners have authority over
access to the courthouse.
Surveillance video from that day shows
a deputy clerk logging onto a county
computer and letting Thomas take over the
keyboard. Such computers house public
documents as well as conidential informa-
tion about child custody cases, victims and
other protected information.
County oficials launched their own
investigation into the matter due to
concerns over what Thomas viewed. On
Thursday the Administrative Ofice of
the Courts agreed to Presiding Superior
Court Judge David Elofson’s request to
investigate the matter.
Riddle hired Thomas after county
commissioners assembled a panel to look
into concerns about how the clerk’s ofice
Corrections
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Lead found in the water at
nearly every Bellevue school
State probes computer use
by Yakima clerk’s attorney
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Thomas said he was only using the
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ofice operations.
PORTLAND (AP) — A recall petition
has been iled against a Harney County
oficial who did not support the armed
takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife
Refuge.
Petitioners say they have gathered 566
signatures, more than enough to compel
Judge Steve Grasty to resign or face a
recall election.
Though his title is judge, Grasty’s
position is essentially chairman of
the county commission. He tells The
Oregonian he’s not going to resign.
Ammon Bundy and others occupied
the refuge this winter to protest the
imprisonment of Dwight and Steven
Hammond, two ranchers sent to prison for
starting ires. They blame Grasty for not
offering to protect the Hammonds from the
federal government.
The Oregon Secretary of State’s Ofice
is working to verify the petition signatures.
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REGIONAL CITIES
Forecast
SUNDAY
TODAY
MONDAY
A shower and
t-storm around
Cooler with spotty
showers
67° 51°
60° 49°
Warmer with a
shower or two
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Partly sunny and
beautiful
Partly sunny
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
70° 45°
76° 51°
80° 47°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
71° 53°
64° 50°
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
LOW
80°
70°
96° (1931)
47°
46°
30° (1903)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.00"
0.17"
0.49"
4.57"
4.19"
5.64"
HERMISTON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
Yesterday
Normals
Records
HIGH
LOW
80°
72°
100° (1993)
44°
46°
33° (2004)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.00"
0.59"
0.49"
3.57"
3.00"
4.51"
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
Full
Last
May 21
May 29
82° 52°
85° 51°
Seattle
69/52
ALMANAC
Yesterday
Normals
Records
76° 48°
New
5:25 a.m.
8:19 p.m.
1:27 p.m.
2:17 a.m.
First
June 4
June 12
Today
Spokane
Wenatchee
70/50
74/54
Tacoma
Moses
68/51
Lake
Pullman
Aberdeen Olympia
Yakima 74/53
68/48
58/51
66/49
75/53
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
62/51
64/51 Lewiston
71/55
Astoria
72/53
60/50
Portland
Enterprise
Hermiston
63/53
Pendleton 70/46
The Dalles 71/53
67/51
69/55
La Grande
Salem
71/49
61/51
Albany
Corvallis 60/51
61/51
John Day
71/45
Ontario
Eugene
Bend
81/52
62/51
63/40
Caldwell
Burns
82/53
69/39
Astoria
Baker City
Bend
Brookings
Burns
Enterprise
Eugene
Heppner
Hermiston
John Day
Klamath Falls
La Grande
Meacham
Medford
Newport
North Bend
Ontario
Pasco
Pendleton
Portland
Redmond
Salem
Spokane
Ukiah
Vancouver
Walla Walla
Yakima
Hi
60
72
63
57
69
70
62
66
71
71
59
71
68
67
56
58
81
70
67
63
64
61
70
64
63
64
75
Lo
50
43
40
49
39
46
51
48
53
45
39
49
46
51
49
53
52
53
51
53
43
51
50
44
53
51
53
W
sh
t
t
sh
c
t
sh
t
t
t
c
t
t
c
sh
sh
pc
c
t
sh
c
sh
pc
t
sh
c
c
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Sun.
Hi
62
56
59
61
59
52
62
59
64
57
60
56
54
69
56
61
68
66
60
63
60
62
62
52
62
59
68
Lo
49
42
42
49
40
43
48
46
50
46
37
46
44
51
49
50
48
48
49
53
41
50
48
43
52
50
48
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
W
c
c
sh
c
c
sh
sh
sh
sh
sh
c
sh
sh
c
c
c
c
c
sh
sh
sh
sh
c
sh
sh
sh
c
WORLD CITIES
Today
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
London
Mexico City
Moscow
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Hi
56
86
89
57
79
63
57
65
78
76
75
Lo
52
78
73
40
54
44
39
57
57
55
57
W
sh
t
s
pc
t
s
pc
t
pc
s
pc
Sun.
Hi
75
87
94
61
77
60
56
69
74
77
71
Lo
44
72
78
43
55
45
43
54
54
58
58
W
pc
pc
pc
c
t
pc
sh
t
r
s
pc
WINDS
Medford
67/51
(in mph)
Klamath Falls
59/39
Boardman
Pendleton
REGIONAL FORECAST
Eastern Washington: Times of sun and
clouds today; an afternoon shower in spots
across the south.
Cascades: Mostly cloudy and cooler today
with a thunderstorm in spots. Showers
tonight.
Northern California: A shower in spots
today, but a thunderstorm in spots in the
interior mountains.
Sunday
W 6-12
WSW 8-16
UV INDEX TODAY
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Coastal Oregon: Mostly cloudy today with a
couple of showers. Plenty of clouds tonight
with showers.
Eastern and Central Oregon: Cooler
today with a couple of showers and a
thunderstorm.
Western Washington: Mostly cloudy
today. A couple of showers; arriving in the
afternoon in central parts.
Today
NNE 7-14
NNW 6-12
1
4
5
5
3
1
8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m.
0-2, Low
3-5, Moderate 6-7, High;
8-10, Very High;
11+, Extreme
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ num-
ber, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2016
-10s
-0s
showers t-storms
0s
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
40s
snow
ice
50s
60s
cold front
70s
80s
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
110s
high
low
National Summary: Gusty storms will develop and push eastward in the Northeast today.
Rain and snow showers will affect the Upper Midwest with downpours and storms in the
southern Plains. Rain will cool the Northwest.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 104° in Gila Bend, Ariz.
Low 20° in Angel Fire, N.M.
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Albuquerque
Atlanta
Atlantic City
Baltimore
Billings
Birmingham
Boise
Boston
Charleston, SC
Charleston, WV
Chicago
Cleveland
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
El Paso
Fairbanks
Fargo
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Hi
80
81
67
72
56
79
81
71
88
61
51
55
73
65
55
88
79
55
83
85
52
90
58
96
72
73
Lo
57
52
48
46
40
51
52
50
60
41
36
39
59
43
37
67
54
35
71
66
37
60
40
70
53
59
W
pc
s
t
t
pc
s
pc
s
s
t
pc
sh
t
pc
sh
t
s
pc
pc
t
c
s
s
pc
pc
sh
Sun.
Hi
81
73
58
60
54
72
66
61
78
59
57
53
68
65
54
90
66
67
84
83
58
85
63
88
63
72
Lo
53
55
44
41
44
54
47
44
59
40
40
41
63
44
41
64
45
43
75
67
40
60
48
68
52
59
Today
W
t
s
pc
pc
sh
pc
pc
pc
s
pc
pc
sh
t
t
c
c
sh
pc
pc
t
pc
s
pc
pc
c
sh
Hi
Louisville
59
Memphis
69
Miami
89
Milwaukee
51
Minneapolis
52
Nashville
67
New Orleans
87
New York City
72
Oklahoma City
62
Omaha
60
Philadelphia
76
Phoenix
100
Portland, ME
71
Providence
74
Raleigh
83
Rapid City
56
Reno
73
Sacramento
76
St. Louis
60
Salt Lake City
85
San Diego
70
San Francisco
68
Seattle
69
Tucson
97
Washington, DC 72
Wichita
60
Lo
44
51
74
36
35
43
67
48
49
39
48
72
48
48
49
33
44
53
42
62
62
55
52
66
48
47
W
pc
s
t
pc
pc
s
s
t
sh
s
t
s
s
t
s
pc
pc
pc
s
pc
sh
c
c
s
t
c
Sun.
Hi
64
67
89
55
63
68
85
60
60
66
60
93
60
61
67
57
69
82
68
68
69
66
63
93
60
60
Lo
46
54
75
42
46
47
70
44
48
45
44
68
40
42
45
40
47
54
51
50
63
53
51
60
43
46
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
W
pc
c
s
pc
pc
pc
t
pc
r
pc
pc
s
sh
pc
s
c
t
s
pc
c
pc
pc
sh
s
pc
r