Multnomah County's elections nerve center is trying to run 21st-century elections out of a building that, according to a new audit, is barely keeping up. The report says the Elections Division is short-staffed, underfunded and squeezed for space just as the county gears up to run more ranked-choice contests. Auditors flagged an aging headquarters that is tough to retrofit and years of cuts to voter education that left staff scrambling during big elections, raising a basic but uncomfortable question: how do you run larger, more complex elections without more money or a modern facility to do it in?
According to OPB, County Auditor Jennifer McGuirk released the findings on Thursday and stressed that the report should not be read as a warning that ballots will not be counted. Still, she did not sugarcoat the physical state of the office, saying, "That building was just not built for modern elections." The audit recommends more funding, additional staff and a new elections office altogether. Auditors also credited the division for how it educated Portland voters ahead of the November 2024 ranked-choice election, even as they warned that the system is running near its limits.
Voter Education Helped, But Not Everywhere
On the outreach front, the audit credits Multnomah County with getting a lot right inside Portland city limits, but says those efforts did not land evenly across the county. Per the City of Portland, an FM3 Research exit poll after the November 2024 election found roughly 91% of surveyed voters said they understood how to fill out a ranked-choice ballot. That headline number looks strong, but the same research showed awareness and confidence were lower in some East Portland neighborhoods that have historically seen less outreach.
Since then, budget decisions have chipped away at countywide education efforts. As detailed by Multnomah County, county leaders have rolled out a $100,000 Voter Education Fund to pay community organizations to do some of that work, with about five $20,000 grants on the table. The grant request went live on February 2, and applications are due March 16. Auditors, however, recommended bringing back a robust in-house voter education program so that outreach is consistent and equitable across the county, not just in places where outside partners happen to be active.
Staffing And Logistics Are Stretched Thin
The audit also zeroes in on staffing, calling current levels a major operational risk. With only 14 full-time employees, Multnomah County's Elections Division has far fewer elections staff per capita than other counties of similar size, and several employees told auditors they feel overworked. According to OPB, auditors found that the Duniway-Lovejoy building at Southeast 10th Avenue and Morrison Street is roughly 100 years old, cannot easily accommodate structural upgrades like a new elevator and does not have enough space for vehicles to unload ballots. That bottleneck has forced the county to rent extra warehouse space during large elections, a workaround that is functional but hardly ideal.
What Comes Next For Officials
County leaders do not have much time to figure it all out. The elections calendar lists May 19, 2026 as the next big date, with a primary on deck and a countywide rollout of single-winner ranked-choice voting scheduled for later in 2026. As outlined by Multnomah County Elections, carrying out the auditor's recommendations, including hiring more staff, restoring voter education efforts and planning for a new or significantly upgraded facility, will require formal action by the county board and more money in the budget.
For now, voters who need information or assistance can contact the Elections Division at 503-988-VOTE (8683) or visit the office at 1040 SE Morrison St. Basic contact details for the office are also listed by the US Vote Foundation, which maintains a public directory of local election offices.
