Today's topic: The Encyclopedia Oregonia, otherwise known as the Oregon Voter's Pamphlet. Although calling it a pamphlet is something of an understatement. Volume 1 (the measures) is 400 pages long. Volume 2 (people) is more to the tune of 20 or 30.

The ballot itself was 2 pages front and back with people and measures. One for the people, one for the measures. That's like the biggest thing I've seen yet. Yikes.

But back to the book. There are something like 11 different proposed constitutional amendments for the state constitution. Plus a bunch of taxes and things, campaign finance reform, plus the infamous measure 9. The book gives the full measure text, an explanatory statement for those who can't read legalese (and measure 6(?) in particular is something like 5 pages long...), and then various arguments for/against. A few things I found funny:

In the measure 9 for section, like 5 of the for arguments (the first 5, no less) were taken up by a single guy blasting the measure and the people who sponsored it. And he made up little organizations for himself like Special Righteousness Committee. Funny, although I'm not sure that the voter's pamphlet should be used like that. If you want to say something against the measure, do it in the against section... <shrug> I was also amused by a couple of the explanatory statements where half the members of the statement drafting committee didn't agree with the statement. LOL.

All in all though, I LIKE the voter's pamphlet. Usefull tool. I also like vote by mail elections (which this one was).