Amend Small Donor Elections Code to adopt the recommendations of the Portland Elections Commission (amend Code Chapter 2.16)

The City of Portland ordains. Section 1. The Council finds: The City Charter requires the Independent Portland Elections Commission to implement the Small Donor Elections program.The Commission analyzes the performance of the Small Donor Elections program after each election cycle, using user experience research and quantitative campaign finance data.The Commission makes recommendations on improving the Small Donor Elections program and keep it aligned with a constantly changing electoral and campaign finance landscape.The Independent Portland Elections Commission concluded in their analysis of the performance of the Small Donor Elections program in the 2024 election cycle that, with adequate funding and their recommendations implemented, the Small Donor Elections program is “well positioned to ensure Portland’s democracy is increasingly fair, reflective, equitable, and inclusive, experiences high participation among multiple measures, and results in a government that is increasingly accountable to all Portlanders.”The Code amendments are necessary to adopt changes the Commission recommended, to improve the program, by aligning its timeline with new state law, aligning the program design with the campaign finance landscape, and preventing challenges that emerged in the last election cycle from recurring. NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs: Amend City Code Chapter 2.16 as shown in Exhibit A.