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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2020)
NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2020 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A13 Absentee ballot rules block some voters from state and local races By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR When Bonnie Ducic got her ballot in the mail, she thought there must be some mistake. Ducic has been a mission- ary in Croatia for about 20 years, but as a United States citizen she can still request an absentee ballot from Umatilla County, where she uses her parents’ home in Hermiston as her perma- nent stateside address. In the past, Ducic has been able to vote in local and statewide elections, she said. But this time when she got her bal- lot, all races except the fed- eral ones had been crossed out with a black marker. “It was a shock to see it that way,” she said. In Oregon, when resi- dents overseas request an absentee ballot, they fi ll out a form that gives them sev- eral options to describe their current status. One of those options states, “I am a U.S. citizen living outside the country, and my return is uncertain.” Kim Lindell, Umatilla County elections manager, said in an email that Oregon citizens who choose that option are only eligible to vote in federal races, which is why Ducic received a ballot with the other races crossed out. Ducic says she didn’t do anything different for this elections from past elec- tions; Lindell says records show she recently changed her status to “indefi nite.” Either way, Ducic said she feels she should be able to vote in local races even if she doesn’t know exactly when she might return to the United States. “If my vote is important enough that I’m allowed to vote federal, why is it not important enough for me to vote state and county?” she LANES DESERT Bonnie Ducic/Contributed Photo Bonnie Ducic submitted this photo of the absentee ballot she requested while living in Croatia. said. She said she previously lived in Multnomah County, but since she went overseas has kept up on local pol- itics through discussions with her parents, and hopes to come back and live in the Hermiston area sometime in the future. “When I return, that’s kind of where I hope to move, so I feel like it’s kind of a responsibility to keep up with what’s going on and help the community be somewhere where I would want to return to,” she said. While all voting in Ore- gon is done by mail instead of in-person polling sta- tions, residents who will be in another state or another country when ballots are mailed out can request an absentee ballot be mailed to a different location. Voters who are serving in the military or living over- seas must use the Federal Absentee Ballot Request Form, found at www.fvap. gov. Those who will be inside the territorial United States — college students attending an out-of-state school, for example — can fi ll out the state absentee ballot form, found at www. oregonvotes.gov. Lindell said overseas and military ballots usually go out 45 days prior to the election. Out-of-state absen- tee ballots go out 30 days prior to the election, while all other types of ballots are sent out between 20 and seven days before the elec- tion, which this year falls on Nov. 3. According to the Ore- gon Secretary of State’s website, overseas and mil- itary voters can mail their ballots to the county elec- ARE SAFE, BOWLING WE SANITIZED AND IS BACK! READY TO ROLL! tions offi ce where their bal- lot came from, but it must be received, not just post- marked, by 8 p.m. on elec- tion night. Because inter- national mail times can be unreliable, overseas and military voters also have an option of submitting their signed ballot via fax or email if they also submit a “secret ballot waiver form” acknowledging that send- ing the ballot in that way does not give them the same level of secrecy that a sealed envelope would. Lindell encouraged any- one with questions about their ballot or registration to contact the county elections offi ce at 541-278-6254 or elections@umatillacounty. net. “Our offi ce goes to great lengths to get ballots in the hands of every eligible voter,” she said. Ducic encouraged peo- ple to vote, and said the reason she is disappointed about only being able to vote for the federal races this time around is because it is important for everyone to have a voice. “Of course everyone has a right to vote whatever their personal preference is, but we can’t complain about the state of the place that we live in if we aren’t trying to effect change,” she said. BRIEFS Turkey Shoot fundraiser benefi ts Hermiston High School golf team The 16th annual Bob Brinkley Memorial Turkey Shoot fundraiser golf tournament is accepting team and individ- ual entries for its Saturday, Nov. 21, event held at Big River Golf Course, 709 Willamette St., Umatilla. The tournament begins with a 9:30 a.m. shotgun start for all teams. The four-person scramble format tournament costs $50 per person, which includes greens fees but not cart rental. Teams are asked to sign up with the names and handicaps (or average score) of each team member, and individuals entering are requested to indicate a preferred foursome. Payment can be made by check when dropping off the entry form, or by credit/debit card the day of the tourna- ment at the golf course. Those wishing to reserve a cart should call the golf course at 541-922-3006 by Nov. 13. Entry forms are available from tournament directors Pat Kerrigan (541-571-0166) and Josh Browning (541- 720-4542), and completed forms can be mailed to HHS Golf Association, 600 S. First St., Hermiston, OR 97838 or dropped off at the golf course. Proceeds from the tournament benefi t the Hermiston High School golf team. Holiday bazaar includes fundraiser for Irrigon Fire Department’s Holiday Basket Program A holiday bazaar and fundraiser is planned for Satur- day, Oct. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Irrigon Plaza, next to Irrigon City Hall, 500 N.E. Main Ave. The bazaar will feature more than 30 vendors and offer a variety of holiday gift ideas. Masks will be required and social distancing protocols will be observed. Nonperishable food and cash donations also will be accepted for the Irrigon Fire Department’s Holiday Bas- ket Program. People who are interested in being a vendor, or those wanting more information, can call Irrigon City Manager Aaron Palmquist at 541-922-3047 or email manager@ ci.irrigon.or.us. Medicare open enrollment has started The open enrollment period for Medicare patients started Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7. The period is the only opportunity to change coverage. Good Shepherd Health Care System is offering free, confi dential appointments with trained consultants who can help patients shop for the right plan or enroll for the fi rst time. To request an appointment call 541-667-3509. TAMÁSTSLIKT CULTURAL INSTITUTE We’ve Reopened! We have opened the Museum Store and Kinship Café for limited hours, Tuesday through Saturday, 11am-2pm. The permanent exhibits are not open. Kinship Café is offering take-out orders only, with a limited menu. Call 541.429.7702 to have your order ready upon arrival. Please note that safety measures will be in force with masks and social distancing required. We look forward to seeing everyone again! ANT RESTA O U U R NGE & L Museum Store, Kinship Café Only Open limited hours: Tues-Sat, 11am-2pm Exhibits remain closed Pendleton, OR | www.tamastslikt.org | 541.429.7700 $75 PER FAMILY *90 MINUTES OF BOWLING *SHOE RENTAL *ONE LARGE PIZZA OF CHOICE *PITCHER OF SODA *SIX $5 ARCADE CARDS *ONE GOODIE BAG PER PERSON (PACKAGE IS GOOD FOR UP TO SIX PEOPLE) 1ST SESSION 6PM-7:30PM 2ND SESSION 8:00PM-9:30PM SIGN UP NOW! RESERVATIONS REQUIRED SATURDAY OCT. 31 ARCADE GAMES TOO!! Fun the en for family tire !!
