A2 BAKER CITY HERALD • SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2022
Local
TURNING BACK THE PAGES
50 YEARS AGO
from the Democrat-Herald
April 9, 1972
Setting three school records, the Baker High School
girls powered by second-place Pine-Eagle Friday 61-40 to
win their tri-meet track opener.
The Bulldogs compiled eight fi rsts in the 13-event
meet, including record efforts in the javelin, 440 and high
jump.
25 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
April 9, 1997
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has chosen Trail
Tenders Inc. to receive the agency’s “Making a Difference”
award.
Trail Tenders, a nonprofi t volunteer organization that
helps the BLM operate the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center,
is one of just three groups in the nation to receive the
award this year, said Dave Hunsaker, the center’s director.
The center’s staff nominated Trail Tenders for the
award, Hunsaker said.
10 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
April 9, 2012
Baker City councilors will devote a great deal of their
meeting this week to infrastructure matters.
The engineer’s report for the burying of utility lines
beneath Resort Street has been given to the councilors for
their review and possible approval.
Cost for the work is estimated to exceed $1 million.
Property owners along Resort from Auburn Avenue
to Campbell Street would be asked to pay for roughly
$301,000 of the total through an assessment of $7.150
per linear foot of their property facing Resort.
Either money from the general fund or a loan from
a fi nancial institution would be needed to make up the
remainder of the nearly $1.1 million utility line upgrade.
ONE YEAR AGO
from the Baker City Herald
April 10, 2021
The Baker Little League, which canceled the 2020
season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to return
May 1.
Jason McClaughry, Baker Little League president, said
preparation for the 2021 season started not long after the
diffi cult decision to cancel the 2020 schedule.
“The fi rst thing we do every year is to work on getting
new board members or fi lling the board to help run league
operations for the next year,” McClaughry said.
One of the board’s bigger challenges, not surprisingly,
was working closely with the Oregon Health Authority and
the Baker County Health Department to ensure this long-
awaited season can be played safely.
“Putting a procedure and protocol together for how
we are going to get kids back on the fi eld, and doing it
safely with all the expectations that we have these days,”
McClaughry said.
McClaughry recognized that this offseason, following
the 2020 cancellation, was not going to be like previous
ones.
“Before, we would be looking at putting teams together,
registering players, looking at equipment purchases, and
uniforms; we’ve been having to look at other things under
the current COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and guidelines
on how we would operate a season,” he said.
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SENIOR MENUS
MONDAY (April 11): Baked ziti, garlic bread, zucchini and
tomatoes, ambrosia, brownies
TUESDAY (April 12): Hot turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes,
peas, green salad, cookies
WEDNESDAY (April 13): Chicken broccoli fettuccine, green
beans and tomatoes, garlic bread, fruit and cottage cheese,
ice cream
THURSDAY (April 14): Beef stew, broccoli, rolls, green salad
FRIDAY (April 15): Baked cod, clam chowder, capri
vegetables, rolls, coleslaw, bread pudding
MONDAY (April 18): Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes with
gravy, mixed vegetables, rolls, fruit cup, brownies
Public luncheon at the Senior Center, 2810 Cedar St., from
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; $5 donation (60 and older), $7.50
for those under 60.
CONTACT THE HERALD
2005 Washington Ave., Suite 101
Open Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Telephone: 541-523-3673
ISSN-8756-6419
Serving Baker County since 1870
Publisher
Karrine Brogoitti
kbrogoitti@lagrandeobserver.com
Jayson Jacoby, editor
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
Advertising email
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Classifi ed email
classifi ed@bakercityherald.com
Circulation email
circ@bakercityherald.com
Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays except Christmas Day by the
Baker Publishing Co., a part of EO Media
Group, at 2005 Washington Ave., Suite 101
(P.O. Box 807), Baker City, OR 97814.
Subscription rates per month are $10.75
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Postmaster: Send address changes to
the Baker City Herald, P.O. Box 807, Baker
City, OR 97814.
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at Pendleton, Oregon 97801
Copyright © 2022
How?: Preparing for primary election
BY MARK BOGART
For the Baker City Herald
A delivery truck pulled up
behind an old building on a
prearranged day in March.
The driver called a contact
person inside the building to
notify her of
the arrival.
Two people
came out to
the truck to
check the
cargo be-
fore it was
moved into
Bogart
the build-
ing. From that time on, it was
monitored both in person and
by surveillance cameras until it
was secured in a metal cage be-
hind locked doors.
The shipment in this sce-
nario consisted of ballots for
the upcoming May 17 pri-
mary election delivered to the
Baker County Courthouse.
Receiving the ballots were
County Clerk Stefanie Kirby
and Deputy Elections Clerk
Yvonne Nork. The delivery is
just one step in a tightly reg-
ulated process for conducting
elections in Oregon.
Most of the extensive de-
tails of the election process are
covered by the Oregon Vote
by Mail Procedures Manual,
which Kirby calls the “Elec-
tions Bible.” It is available to
the public through the Secre-
tary of State website. As county
clerk, Kirby is the county’s
chief election official responsi-
ble for overseeing the process
throughout the county. The
state’s election website lists her
responsibilities, which include
checking ballot measures, en-
suring that elections are con-
ducted according to state law
and procedures, maintaining
voter and candidate records,
ensuring uniform application
of election laws, and assuring
that the public receives com-
plete and accurate information
regarding elections.
To illustrate the complexity
of the election process, Kirby
pointed out that she ordered
57 different “ballot styles” this
year. Because this is a “closed
primary election,” Democrats,
Republicans and nonaffiliated
voters will receive different
ballots so they can only vote
within their party for the par-
tisan races, such as governor,
senator, and representatives in
both Congress and the Oregon
Legislature.
Ballot styles also depend on
residence in different commu-
nities and special districts (such
as a rural fire district) with
their own local races. Party
precinct chairs will also be in-
cluded on the ballot this year,
rather than being printed on a
separate page. All of the ballots
will include state ballot mea-
sures and local nonpartisan
offices, including two county
commissioner positions. All of
this customization is tracked
using the Oregon Centralized
Voter Registration Software
which uses identification num-
bers and bar codes.
Kirby emphasized that vot-
ers have until April 26 to check
and update their voter registra-
tion status, including address
and party affiliation, in order
to receive the correct ballot in
the mail. Voters can check this
information using the Oregon
Secretary of State website or by
contacting the County Clerk’s
office at 541-523-8207.
Mark Bogart/Contributed Photo
Baker County Clerk Stefanie Kirby is preparing for the May 17, 2022, primary election.
Oregon has an automatic
voter registration process
through the Department of
Motor Vehicles (DMV) for
those who qualify. Kirby ex-
plained that this is an “opt out”
program in which the new reg-
istrants are notified by mail so
they can fill out a form to select
a party or have their name re-
moved from the system. Voter
lists are updated on an ongo-
ing basis using several sources,
Kirby explained. Residents
can also register at the County
Clerk’s office in the Court-
house, 1995 Third St.
The ballots remain locked
up until the prescribed time
to bring in the local Election
Board, a pool of volunteers rep-
resenting both major parties
and nonaffiliated voters, who
work in teams to match bar-
coded envelopes with the cor-
rect ballot styles. The surveil-
lance requirements continue
during this process and until
ballots are delivered to the
post office for mailing. Ballots
will be mailed between April
27 and May 3 for most voters.
Military and other out-of-state
Oregon voters have probably
already received ballots.
Voters can complete and re-
turn their ballots anytime on
or prior to election day, May
17, by placing them in the mail
(postage is now prepaid) or in
the designated drop boxes at
the Courthouse, at Commu-
nity Connection in Baker City
or at the city halls in Richland,
Halfway, or Huntington. Bal-
lots can also be taken directly
to the County Clerk’s office.
There will also be a voting
booth at the Clerks office for
anyone wishing to vote there
in person.
This year ballots will be
counted if postmarked by elec-
tion day, May 17. Voters need
to check collection times at the
post office to be sure the bal-
lot is postmarked by that day
in order to be counted. Voters
using county drop boxes or
voting at the courthouse must
submit their ballots by 8 p.m.
on election day.
News of Record
FUNERALS PENDING
Mardelle LaDorise Webb Allen
Ebell: A traditional funeral service
will take place Saturday, April 16, at
2 p.m. at the Pine Valley Presbyterian
Church in Halfway. Interment will
follow at Pine Haven Cemetery. Online
condolences can be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
Ron Anderson, Sharon Joy Anderson:
They passed away in November 2021
in Las Vegas. They lived in Baker City
for most of the year, escaping the cold
weather of Eastern Oregon to their
property in Pahrump, Nevada, during
the winter. Ron and Sharon loved to
travel and pan gold, and they were avid
rockhounds. They enjoyed taking walks,
morning coffee with friends, Copper
Belt Winery and dances at the VFW. Ron
and Sharon are very much missed by
their friends and family who they both
loved and cherished dearly. There will
be a celebration of their lives on April
14 at 2 p.m. at the Eagles, 2935 H St. in
Baker City.
Agnes Bird: A celebration of Agnes’
life and graveside service will take
place Saturday, May 21, at 1 p.m. at
Pine Haven Cemetery in Halfway. A
reception will follow immediately at the
Halfway Lions Hall. Those who would
like to make a donation in memory of
Agnes can do so to the Hells Canyon
Junior Rodeo through Tami’s Pine Valley
Funeral Home & Cremation Services,
P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834. Online
condolences can be made at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
Ivan Harry Bork: A celebration of his
life and potluck will take place Saturday,
May 28, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the
ballroom at the Baker Heritage Museum,
2480 Grove St. For those who would
like to make a donation in honor of
Ivan, the family suggests Hunt of a
Lifetime through Tami’s Pine Valley
Funeral Home & Cremation Services,
P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR 97834. Online
condolences can be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
POLICE LOG
Baker City Police
Arrests, citations
DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF
INTOXICANTS: Scott Roy Harris, 47, Baker
City, 11:47 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, on
Clark Street near Broadway; cited and
released.
As ballots are received, the
envelopes are scanned and the
signatures are verified. Then
they are stored, unopened,
until election day. Kirby and
her staff have received special
training in signature verifi-
cation. If envelopes are un-
signed or the signature can’t
be verified, the voters are con-
tacted and allowed to come
to the clerk’s office to make a
determination that the ballot
is valid.
On election day the election
board is again called into ser-
vice. Under the supervision
of Kirby and Nork, and with
video monitoring, they work
in pairs, representing different
parties. They open the enve-
lopes and separate them from
the ballots so votes remain
anonymous. Ballots are then
inspected to make sure they
are ready to tabulate. Part of
that job is to determine if the
voter’s intent is clear. For ex-
ample, some people may have
marked two candidates. Oth-
ers may have put a small dot
instead of filling in the oval to
indicate their choice. If the in-
tent seems clear, the ballot can
be counted; otherwise it will be
set aside and an election offi-
cial will attempt to contact the
voter so they can complete a
new ballot.
The county uses an auto-
mated tabulator to count votes.
Kirby said this machine un-
dergoes preventive mainte-
nance and practice runs to be
sure results will be accurate.
Some ballots are run through
the tabulator and then counted
by hand to be sure the results
match. She also emphasized
that the counting is done lo-
cally, and the tabulator is not
connected to the internet.
Procedures in the ballot pro-
cessing room are strictly man-
aged. For example, a political
party or individual candidates
may request to have an ob-
server in the room, but they
How? An occasional
feature
Mark Bogart, a Baker High
School graduate and retired
Baker School District teacher
and principal, is writing an
occasional feature for the
Baker City Herald explaining
how things work.
must follow specific policies
so as not to interfere with the
verification and counting pro-
cesses. Media tours are also al-
lowed within strict guidelines.
Space is a factor in allowing
observers, which was especially
true during the 2020 election
due to high COVID-19 rates.
Unofficial results are an-
nounced when all accepted
ballots have been counted on
election day. However, the final
results will depend upon com-
pletion of counting votes that
arrive late but are postmarked
by election day as well as pro-
visional ballots that were dam-
aged or where voter intent was
not initially evident.
There are many more dates
on the election calendar in-
volving recounts, challenges,
write-in candidates, etc. The
final step in the process, how-
ever, is for election officials in
each county to certify the re-
sults and report them to the
secretary of state on June 23.
Kirby stressed the necessity
of accuracy and adherence to
procedures. She said the pro-
cess requires “lots of checks
and balances and lots of proof-
reading.”
Oregon’s first statewide vote-
by-mail (VBM) special elec-
tion was held in 1993. Then
in 1998 voters overwhelming
approved expanding VBM to
primary and general elections.
In November of 2000, Oregon
became the first state in the
country to conduct an all vote-
by-mail general election.
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