After a bruising campaign and weeks of voting by mail, today's big tax election may be decided by an onslaught of last-minute voters such as Courtenay Morton and Neil McManaway, two Portlanders who were among a steady stream of voters dropping off ballots Monday at Pioneer Courthouse Square. Morton, 34, a homemaker, and McManaway, 31, an unemployed architect, voted "yes" on the measures. But opponents of the two tax measures said they are rounding up scads of late "no" votes as well from fence-sitters and procrastinators.
"The election is going to be close enough that those who are still wrestling with a decision and sending in their ballots can have a significant effect," said Pat McCormick, spokesman for Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes, the main group opposing Measures 66 and 67.
Tuesday is the last day to vote on whether to increase taxes on higher-income earners and corporations to pay for schools and other state services. Ballots, which have been in the hands of voters for nearly three weeks, must be deposited in one of nearly 300 drop-box sites across Oregon. It's too late to mail them to meet Tuesday's 8 p.m. deadline.
So far, nearly 1 million people have voted, or about half of Oregon's 2 million registered voters. Tens of thousands more are expected to cast ballots Tuesday as Oregonians continue a trend of voting under the pressure of a deadline.