<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Hi all,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>We passed this election season and will soon be engaged in an even more significant election season. Election issues are not simply “am I registered?”, “when do I send in my ballot” and “what’s on the ballot” [although that last one can be confusing]. It’s looking beyond the immediate conditions of voting to understand that our registration and voting systems are products of human design and that there are multiple ways of approaching almost every aspect of elections. Ditto for campaign financing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>And, understanding that there are groups in Oregon - on the local and state level - which are not only concerned with these structures but have actually organized to influence/change them.* The first step, of course, is becoming aware of alternatives. Then one is capable of delving further. My workshop on Elections and Campaign finance is geared to raising awareness of multiple related issues and of options for involvement with them. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>The workshop is also customized so that upcoming elections in a local community are highlighted. Much to my delight I mentioned, in a workshop, an opening for an elected office in Oregon City last April and it resulted in a woman deciding to run for School Board - and she won!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Here are some of the topics typically covered in this workshop:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#262626'>Voting as Constitutional right(?), Voter Rights, Voter Fraud, Voter Registration, Voter Turnout, Felon Voting, Voting [and Winning!] Methods, Redistricting, Electoral College, National Popular Vote, Campaign Financing and Dark Money, Disclosure and Oregon’s Campaign Finance Database, Public Financing of Elections. Also, Local Electoral Information.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> <span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>* Whether we are talking about changing “plurality” winning to a “ranked-choice” voting approach [as Benton County plans to do] or moving toward city officials representing discrete geographical districts vs “at-large” [as some in Portland would like to do], or changing the form of the local governing body [as Clark County, WA did and as Douglas County tried to do this month], there are many ways our elections [and governing] systems might be altered.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Donna<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Donna L Cohen, MEd, MLIS<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Portland, Oregon<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>503-737-1425<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>citizen@civicthinker.net<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='color:#9E0000'>Civics for Adults Workshops: To Enhance Civic Knowledge and Inspire Political Engagement<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='color:black'>Keep up-to-date: </span></i><b><i><span style='color:#9E0000'>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Civics-for-Adults-1490728887922036/"><span style='color:#0563C1;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal'>https://www.facebook.com/Civics-for-Adults-1490728887922036/</span></a> and/or let me know if you want to be on the Civics email list.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class=MsoNormal> <span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>