Ballots are on their way!

By Julia Shumway | Editor

Keep an eye on those mailboxes, Oregon — today is the day election officials start mailing ballots. But, as Alex Baumhardt reports, an experiment county officials and the secretary of state’s office ran over the summer found that mail, especially in rural Oregon, might take a few days to receive a postmark and a few more to make it to its destination. When you have your ballot, plan to mail it by Oct. 27 or place it in a ballot box by 8 p.m. Nov. 3.

Also in today's edition:

Kotek, Drazan meet for final debate
Kotek directs Department of Environmental Quality to pause data center permits
Columnist Tim Nesbitt with an idea for data centers

News tips, feedback or questions? Email us at [email protected]

Oregon elections chief urges early voting as test of USPS service shows slow mail service

By Alex Baumhardt

A voter turns in their ballot at a dropbox located at the Albany Public Library. (Photo by Mia Maldonado/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Following President Donald Trump’s escalating attacks on vote-by-mail in the run-up to the Nov. 3 midterm elections, Oregon’s secretary of state, 36 county clerks and election officials in August conducted an experiment.

Kotek, Drazan focus on development at final debate in Bend

By Shaanth Nanguneri

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and now-state Sen. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, participated in a debate in Bend on Tuesday, Oct. 13. (Photos by Julia Shumway and Laura Tesler/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and state Sen. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, spent their final televised debate for the 2026 Oregon gubernatorial race tussling over who could best spur economic growth, housing and development in the state with a focus on Oregonians outside of Portland.

Oregon governor orders pause on environmental permits to build or expand data centers

By Alex Baumhardt

An explosion of data center facilities, including the one pictured here in northeast Oregon on May 18, 2026, have been built along the Columbia River Gorge during the last few years. (Photo by Jordan Gale/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Oregon’s governor has effectively issued a moratorium on new data centers and data center expansions in the state by ordering environmental regulators to pause approving new state and federal air and water pollution permits for data center projects until next July.

Commentary: What Alaska can teach us when it comes to dealing with data centers

By Tim Nesbitt

Oregonians want a word with their leaders about data centers. That reminds me of what another state’s residents and their elected leaders succeeded in doing when another deep-pocketed industry came for their resources.