Oregon Secretary of State Alerted that Civil Rights Division of U.S. Department of Justice Will Deploy Election Monitors to Multnomah County
Secretary Read is reminding all election observers to follow the law
SALEM, OR — Yesterday afternoon, the Oregon Secretary of State’s office was informed by the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice that the agency would deploy election monitors to Multnomah County on Election Day.
“Oregon’s elections are secure, accurate, and fair, and we always welcome observers to watch our American election process unfold,”Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read said. “But let’s be clear: it is not legal for these observers or anyone else to interfere with Oregon’s elections – even the Department of Justice. We are prepared. We will follow the law, and we will make sure the Department of Justice does the same.”
Secretary Read is encouraging all individuals who intend to observe the election process to know the rules. They will be strictly enforced.
Multnomah County and other counties have clear rules to allow observers while protecting the integrity of the election. These rules prohibit observers from:
Talking to election workers.
Interfering with conversations between election workers and voters.
Taking photos or videos of sensitive voter information.
Handling any ballots or official election materials.
Justice Department election monitors have no special authority simply because they are Justice Department employees. They are allowed to observe election activities, document potential violations of federal voting laws, and raise concerns with election officials, but have no authority over election administration.
Justice Department election monitors also do not have independent authority to enter restricted election facilities, inspect voting equipment, handle ballots, or demand access to election records.
For decades, the Justice Department has deployed election monitors to ensure voters were protected from racial discrimination or intimidation.
However, concerns about federal monitors were sparked nationwide after two Justice Department monitors displayed “irregular” and “a bit aggressive” behavior while monitoring poll workers during Wyoming’s Aug. 18 primary election.
The monitors reportedly sought to interview voters inside polling places, obtain poll-worker training materials, and examine voting equipment and tabulators.
The Secretary of State’s office will continue to coordinate closely with county elections officials to ensure Oregon once again has a free and fair vote-by-mail election.
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They are allowed to observe election activities, document potential violations of federal voting laws, and raise concerns with election officials, but have no authority over election administration.
This email was sent to using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
This weekend, Matthew McConaughey posted a video making the case for independents. One line stuck with us:
“Independents aren’t middle of the road. Independent is the original road. Before there was ever a Republican or Democrat, there was an American.” Yes! 🇺🇸💜
Within hours, he was getting hammered online from both sides, with critics calling an independent vote too risky, a spoiler, or a waste.
Here’s the thing we all know: a record 45% of Americans call themselves independent. This is far more than those who identify with either major party. Yet the moment someone says it out loud, both sides pile on.
That’s the system we’re up against, and it’s why we need you now.
Will you pitch in $14 today (one dollar for every day left until Election Day) to show that independents belong in the fight?
In his video, McConaughey said we don’t know how many voters would back a true independent “because no one has ever given us one.” Well, we’re building exactly that!
At Forward, we’ve stood behind candidates who are proving that independents can compete and win. And we’re backed by Forwardists across the country who believe the same thing you do. Alongside our partners at Moving America Forward, our teams are on the ground in key states every weekend, knocking on doors and making sure independent voters know when and where to vote.
With 14 days to go, please chip in $14, $50, or whatever you’re comfortable with to help us:
Keep our teams on the ground across America through Election Day.
Reach independent voters who’ve been left out of the conversation.
The two parties call it spoiling. We call it competing. And with your help, independents won’t just be in the fight. We can win!
SALEM, OR — All Oregon voters can now sign up to receive updates on the status of their ballot for the November 2026 general election, from when it is sent to them, to when their ballot is accepted for counting, at OregonVotes.gov/Track.
“Every voter in Oregon, no matter where they live, deserves the same access to their ballot and the same confidence that their vote counts,” Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read said. “This tool gives voters a quick, easy, and secure way to track their ballot through the process and get alerted if there are any issues with their signature on their ballot. This is a great upgrade for voters and for Oregon’s gold standard vote-by-mail elections.”
Secretary Read’s video announcement is available here.
The only information voters will need to provide to sign up is first and last name, date of birth, and zip code. The information must exactly match the information on their voter record.
Voters can choose to get updates via text, email, or phone call. Updates will be sent at three key points:
When your ballot is sent to you by the county elections office
When your ballot is received by the county elections office
When your ballot is accepted for counting
If a ballot is not accepted because of a ballot signature issue, an update will be sent so the voter can take steps to make sure their vote is counted.
This service was previously available for voters in Clackamas, Marion, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill counties. All voters in those counties will continue to receive alerts and they can also use oregonvotes.gov/track to sign up as the service is expanded to every other county in the state.
This email was sent tousing Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
FOX News Reporting South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds Removes Trump from Campaign Website
Chickens in the state of South Dakota may be coming home to roost. FOX News is reporting on the removal of the President’s name from Mike Rounds’ campaign website, a trend seen across Republican candidates across the country. The news underscores a rising boiling point being reached in a state with a very real Independent Senate candidate, Brian Bengs, making a very real play to win a Senate seat in a historically red state.
If you’re interested in helping the Forward Party push Brian over the finish line, consider supporting our work here.
Senate Candidate Todd Achilles and Gov. Whitman Headline Community Listening Session in Boise, Idaho
Todd Achilles and Forward Party Co-Chair, Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, sat down for a community listening session in Boise, Idaho this week. Check out the photographic recap on Instagram and Facebook. Our friends at Moving America Forward led the session and shared information about the independent movement on the campus of Boise State University.
Moving America Forward Fellows Make the Case for Political Independence at Mount Rushmore
Ballots are in the mail, and now every voter in Oregon can sign up to receive updates about the status of their ballot.Just go to oregonvotes.gov/track.
You can get updates by email, text message, or phone call. You will be updated:
When your ballot is sent to you.
When your ballot is received by your county elections office.
When your ballot is accepted for counting
If your ballot was not accepted because of an issue with the signature on your ballot envelope that can be fixed.
With ballots on the way, it’s time to make a plan to vote. I recommend using a secure, convenient drop box. You can find one near you using oregonvotes.gov/dropbox.
It is still safe to return your ballot by mail, just plan to do it no later than 7 days before election day. If you need to mail your ballot less than a week before election day, take it into the Post Office and ask for a hand postmark.
And before I sign off, I am calling on all Oregonians to remain vigilant in the face of any attempts to intimidate voters we may see over the next few weeks.
The federal administration has refused to rule out sending troops to polling locations, and there are reports of armed troops stationed in front of ballot boxes in Washington, D.C. This is completely unacceptable and illegal, but, unfortunately, not surprising.
Here in Oregon, our communities and immigrant families are dealing with a surge in violent and disruptive ICE activity, and I refuse to believe the timing is a coincidence.
Know your rights and be prepared to vote this November.
Sincerely,
Tobias Read Oregon Secretary of State
Sign Up to Track Your Ballot
Sign up to track and receive updates about your ballot from outbound to accepted. It’s a quick, easy, secure way to know your vote is counted.
You can get updates by email, text message, or phone call.
You will be updated:
When your ballot is sent to you.
When your ballot is received by your county elections office.
When your ballot is accepted for counting
If your ballot was not accepted because of an issue with the signature on your ballot envelope that can be fixed.
If you run into any issues with signing up, review the FAQ page at oregonvotes.gov/track. If your question is not answered there, contact the Oregon Secretary of State’s Elections Division.
On Tuesday, October 13, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read held a press conference with APWU Oregon President Daniel Cortez to get Oregonians ready to vote. They provided updates on how voters can track their ballot and the best ways for voters to ensure that they get their ballot in on time.
This email was sent to using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
SALEM, OR — Today, October 13, is the deadline for eligible Oregonians to register to vote for the November general election, and this morning Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read provided voters with a series of updates to help them get ready to vote.
To register to vote, a prospective voter must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Oregon, and at least 16 years old (only people 18 and older will get a ballot). The easiest way to register or verify an existing registration is online at OregonVotes.gov.
Ballots start being sent to voters in Oregon on October 14.
“Oregon, it’s time to get ready to vote,” Secretary Read said. “Elections are decided by those who show up. Don’t miss this opportunity to help decide the direction of our state and our nation.”
All Oregon voters will soon be able to sign up to receive updates on the status of their ballot for the November general election, from when it is sent to them, to when their ballot is accepted for counting.
Registered voters will be able to access BallotTrax at OregonVotes.gov/Track. The only information that will be needed is their first and last name, year of birth, and zip code. The information must exactly match the information on their voter record.
“We want every voter – from Multnomah County to Malheur County – to be confident in their vote,” Secretary Read said. “This is a quick, easy, and secure way for voters to know that their ballot is moving through the system and to let them know if there is a problem.”
Voters can choose to get updates via text, email, or phone call. Updates will be sent at three key points:
When your ballot is sent to you by the county elections office
When your ballot is received by the county elections office
When your ballot is accepted for counting
If a ballot is not accepted because of a ballot signature issue, an update will be sent so the voter can take steps to make sure their vote is counted.
Voters across Oregon will have access to ballot tracking for the November 2026 election because the Oregon Legislature provided $154,000 in emergency funding last month to allow the state to cover the cost of the program for all counties.
When it comes to returning ballots, the best and most reliable option is for a voter to return their ballot to one of the more than 300 official drop boxes across the state. Counties will be announcing the locations of new drop boxes as they are established. The Secretary of State’s drop box locator will be available at OregonVotes.gov/Dropbox.
For voters who want to use the mail, Secretary Read strongly recommends doing so no later than October 27, one week before Election Day.
“Whether you return your ballot at an official drop box or through the mail, make a plan and stick to it,” Secretary Read said. “As soon as you’re ready to vote, fill out your ballot and get it back to us. Your vote is your power. Use it.”
This recommendation is supported by data released Tuesday by the Secretary of State’s office that details mail postmarking and delivery times across the state. In August, the Secretary of State’s office partnered with Oregon’s 36 county clerks to conduct a non-scientific test of Oregon’s mail system.
The goal was to gather evidence that either confirmed or challenged the recommendation that voters mail their ballot at least one week before Election Day in light of cuts to the U.S. Postal Service. In total, 108 pieces of mail were sent by county clerks back to themselves and tracked.
The data showed that, on average, it took a regular piece of mail 1.08 days to receive a postmark and 4.06 days to be delivered. However, times were inconsistent across the state, with mail from rural counties taking longer to be postmarked and delivered.
Critically, every piece of mail sent as part of the test would have been postmarked and delivered on time to be counted in an election, if sent one week before Election Day.
This email was sent to com using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
I am not a gambler. I learned very early about the house.
When I turned 21, I took my paycheck, probably a little over $100, and took the train from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. I lost my paycheck at the Dollar Wheel outside Caesars Palace before I even stepped inside the casino. They offered me a free meal.
I hitchhiked back to Manhattan Beach.
This was 1967.
So now I am going to gamble.
See, I now live in Oregon, a blue state. But I don’t like the way things have gone for the past decade or so, and I blame a lot of things on a lot of things. But right now I blame our current governor, Tina Kotek.
I am just not impressed.
I won’t go into all the details. This is just where I stand today.
The second position I take is that I see our state being run as if two universities and one city set the agenda, while a capital doesn’t always seem to know what the rest of the state is doing.
You see, Oregon is home to some of the finest universities in the nation and some pretty remarkable technology. Ever hear of Intel? Tektronix?
Oregon has a technology history that helped create what we now call the Silicon Forest. Intel’s Oregon operation became a major center for semiconductor manufacturing and research, while Tektronix helped establish the high-tech industry here in the first place.
But nobody remembers that we are also a timber state, a farming state, a fishing state. Nobody seems to pay enough attention to what this state is actually about.
It sometimes seems that everything is about Portland and the homeless.
So here I am.
I want MAGA gone. I hate Trump’s authoritarian policies.
And now comes the gamble.
Kotek, a Democrat I don’t want because I think she has failed us, or Drazan, a Republican, while I am actively campaigning against the Trump regime?
Christine Renee Drazan is an Oregon Republican who currently serves in the Oregon Senate and is running for governor. She was born in Klamath Falls, grew up in Eagle Point, graduated from Eagle Point High School and attended George Fox University in Newberg.
My wife and I watched the Kotek-Drazan debate. Debate, argument, cat fight, cage fight, call it what you want. It was politics.
Drazan to Kotek: You failed.
Kotek to Drazan: You’re a Republican like Trump.
And that is where this gets interesting for me.
I have to admit that Drazan is more conservative than my taste. But when I started looking at some of Kotek’s accusations about Drazan’s record, I found that some of the details were more complicated than the campaign rhetoric suggested. Drazan has opposed tax and revenue measures, but the individual votes and what those bills actually did matter.
That distinction is important to me.
So does this: Drazan is an Oregonian. Born in Klamath Falls. Raised in Eagle Point. Educated at George Fox University in Newberg.
She has country roots.
The gamble is this:
I believe Trump’s MAGA movement is going to take a big hit in November. If it takes the hit I believe it is going to take, then I feel more comfortable voting for a Republican governor in Oregon.
Governor.
Not senator.
That distinction matters to me.
I am not suddenly becoming a Republican. I am not voting for Trump. I am not endorsing MAGA.
I am making a decision about who I think should run Oregon.
And yes, it is a gamble.
If I lose the gamble, well, I still think Kotek is taking us in the wrong direction.
And I guess that is what politics are all about.
At the gubernatorial debate on the University of Oregon campus on Thursday, October 1, 2026 between incumbent Gov. Tina Kotek(D), right, and state Sen. Christine Drazan(R). (Photo by: Will Yurman / Lookout Eugene-Springfield / Pool)
Secretary Read to Hold Press Conference as Counties Prepare to Mail Ballots
The voter registration deadline is October 13 and county elections officials will begin sending ballots to Oregon voters on October 14
SALEM, OR — On Tuesday, October 13, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read will hold a press conference with APWU Oregon President Daniel Cortez to get Oregonians ready to vote. They will provide updates on how voters can track their ballot and the best ways for voters to ensure that they get their ballot in on time.
EVENT INFORMATION
WHO: Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, APWU Oregon President Daniel Cortez
WHAT: “Get Ready to Vote” Press Conference
WHERE: The Portland Building, Room 201 (1120 SW 5th Ave, Portland, OR 97204)
WHEN: Tuesday, October 13 at 10:15 a.m.
MEDIA RSVP: News media members interested in attending the press conference or receiving a remote access link should email connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov.
This email was sent to using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
I am not a gambler. I learned very early about the house.
When I turned 21, I took my paycheck, probably a little over $100, and took the train from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. I lost my paycheck at the Dollar Wheel outside Caesars Palace before I even stepped inside the casino. They offered me a free meal.
I hitchhiked back to Manhattan Beach.
This was 1967.
So now I am going to gamble.
See, I now live in Oregon, a blue state. But I don’t like the way things have gone for the past decade or so, and I blame a lot of things on a lot of things. But right now I blame our current governor, Tina Kotek.
I am just not impressed.
I won’t go into all the details. This is just where I stand today.
The second position I take is that I see our state being run as if two universities and one city set the agenda, while a capital doesn’t always seem to know what the rest of the state is doing.
You see, Oregon is home to some of the finest universities in the nation and some pretty remarkable technology. Ever hear of Intel? Tektronix?
Oregon has a technology history that helped create what we now call the Silicon Forest. Intel’s Oregon operation became a major center for semiconductor manufacturing and research, while Tektronix helped establish the high-tech industry here in the first place.
But nobody remembers that we are also a timber state, a farming state, a fishing state. Nobody seems to pay enough attention to what this state is actually about.
It sometimes seems that everything is about Portland and the homeless.
So here I am.
I want MAGA gone. I hate Trump’s authoritarian policies.
And now comes the gamble.
Kotek, a Democrat I don’t want because I think she has failed us, or Drazan, a Republican, while I am actively campaigning against the Trump regime?
Christine Renee Drazan is an Oregon Republican who currently serves in the Oregon Senate and is running for governor. She was born in Klamath Falls, grew up in Eagle Point, graduated from Eagle Point High School and attended George Fox University in Newberg.
My wife and I watched the Kotek-Drazan debate. Debate, argument, cat fight, cage fight, call it what you want. It was politics.
Drazan to Kotek: You failed.
Kotek to Drazan: You’re a Republican like Trump.
And that is where this gets interesting for me.
I have to admit that Drazan is more conservative than my taste. But when I started looking at some of Kotek’s accusations about Drazan’s record, I found that some of the details were more complicated than the campaign rhetoric suggested. Drazan has opposed tax and revenue measures, but the individual votes and what those bills actually did matter.
That distinction is important to me.
So does this: Drazan is an Oregonian. Born in Klamath Falls. Raised in Eagle Point. Educated at George Fox University in Newberg.
She has country roots.
The gamble is this:
I believe Trump’s MAGA movement is going to take a big hit in November. If it takes the hit I believe it is going to take, then I feel more comfortable voting for a Republican governor in Oregon.
Governor.
Not senator.
That distinction matters to me.
I am not suddenly becoming a Republican. I am not voting for Trump. I am not endorsing MAGA.
I am making a decision about who I think should run Oregon.
And yes, it is a gamble.
If I lose the gamble, well, I still think Kotek is taking us in the wrong direction.
And I guess that is what politics are all about.
At the gubernatorial debate on the University of Oregon campus on Thursday, October 1, 2026 between incumbent Gov. Tina Kotek(D), right, and state Sen. Christine Drazan(R). (Photo by: Will Yurman / Lookout Eugene-Springfield / Pool)
In May 2026 (around the primary election), officials noted that Oregon has 321 official drop boxes (also called drop sites). These are available until 8 p.m. on Election Day, are monitored, and include fire-suppression features.
newsfromthestates.com
The state does not maintain a single permanent public “total” page that is always updated outside election periods. Instead:
The Oregon Secretary of State provides an Oregon Drop Box Locator tool (sos.oregon.gov) that lists locations statewide. It becomes available about 21 days before a statewide election.
sos.oregon.gov
Individual counties publish their own lists and counts (e.g., Clackamas County has listed 26 sites; Multnomah County has listed around 30).
Oregon is an all-mail voting state, so every registered voter gets a ballot by mail and can return it by mail (postmarked by Election Day) or at any official drop box/site in the state. The number of boxes can vary slightly by election as counties adjust locations. For the most current count or map during an election window, check the Secretary of State’s Drop Box Locator or your county elections office.
Yah, so we have been going on and on about the Democrats getting into power, taking control of the House, well, that’s a given and maybe even the Senate. That’s not a given, but there’s a good chance.
But okay. They do it.
So what?
What do you expect? Massive change? Impeach Trump, throw the administration behind bars where they belong? Oh, still my beating heart. If only it could happen that easily.
Reality is raising its ugly head. What’s going to happen? Well, I’ll tell you what’s going to happen.
A lot of INVESTIGATIONS.
==============================================
Who are we going to let call the shots?
A bunch of rich dudes who only want to get richer?
Or…
Maybe that’s the question we should be asking before we decide that simply changing who holds the gavels means we have changed the system.
Because making that decision tomorrow may be too late.
The election is just a few weeks away now. It’s time to make sure you’re ready to vote.
The voter registration deadline is October 13, so now’s a perfect time to double‑check that your information is up to date. Whether you’re registering for the first time, updating your address, or just making sure everything looks right, taking a minute right now helps to make sure there aren’t any issues with your ballot.
To register in Oregon, you must be a U.S. citizen, an Oregon resident, and at least 16 years old (you’ll need to be 18 years old by Election Day to get a ballot and vote).
Here are a few easy, official ways to register or update your information:
By mail – Complete, sign, and mail in a paper voter registration card. You can download a registration card from OregonVotes.gov.
At the DMV – you will automatically be registered if you present documents that prove your identity and eligibility.
Your vote will decide Oregon’s future. Use it.
Tobias Read Oregon Secretary of State
How to Register to Vote in Oregon
Registering is quick and convenient. To learn where you can register, what documents you’ll need to register, and when you need to register by to take part in this year’s elections, check out this guide to ‘Registering to Vote in Oregon.”
And help us get the word out about the voter registration deadline! Here’s a graphic you can share on social media – don’t forget to tell people they can register, check or update their information at oregonvotes.gov!
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Important News & Updates
Are you a small business running into government roadblocks? Sign up for updates from our Office of Small Business Assistance, Oregon’s small business ombudsman.
This email was sent tousing Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
“Dark money” refers to political spending by organizations that aren’t required to disclose their donors. These can include:
501(c)(4) nonprofits labeled as “social welfare” organizations
501(c)(6) trade associations
Super PACs funded through donor networks
The result? Huge sums of money can influence elections without voters knowing the source.
A TV ad promoting a candidate may look like a neutral “issue ad”
The funding might come from a network of nonprofits or PACs with a partisan agenda
Voters see the message, but not the money behind it
2. Why It Matters: The Voter Experience
Consider Mary again, our hypothetical voter. By the time she sees a TikTok clip, a Facebook ad, or a cable news segment:
Some of those messages were funded by independent PACs or nonprofits
The messaging was crafted to influence perception subtly
She doesn’t see the donors, just the content
Even in small towns, the flow of money affects which messages are amplified, which reach her first, and which seem urgent or newsworthy.
3. Concrete Example — Montana’s Legislative Races
Montana has become a classic case study for understanding dark money in local politics:
In a recent state legislative election, outside organizations poured millions into TV ads, mailers, and social media campaigns
Much of this funding came from national PACs and nonprofits whose donors remained anonymous
The message: localized issues framed to influence voter perception, even in districts where the voters might never have heard of the donors
The result? Candidates and voters were reacting more to well-funded messaging than to local debates or candidate visits.
This mirrors what happens in national elections—just scaled up. Whether it’s a mayoral race in Boca Raton or a Senate race in Montana, the mechanics are the same: money flows first, messages follow, and voters absorb the outcome.
4. Money + Media + Voters
Here’s the chain we’ve been building across the series:
Money funds messaging: PACs, nonprofits, and advocacy groups choose the narratives to highlight
Media amplifies it: cable, social media, and independent channels deliver the messages, often emphasizing what engages audiences most
Voters receive it: individuals like Mary see a mix of ads, posts, and commentary shaped by ideology, attention, and funding
Elections reflect influence: outcomes are affected not just by ballots but by how voters were informed—or persuaded—before reaching the booth
5. A Key Insight
Dark money isn’t inherently bad or partisan. Its existence shows a system that prioritizes influence without transparency. Whether an election leans left or right, the structure remains the same: funding networks drive the narrative, independent media amplifies it, and voters navigate the resulting patchwork of messages.
Understanding this flow is critical for anyone trying to make sense of modern elections. It’s not about ideology—it’s about mechanics. And recognizing the mechanics helps explain why elections, even local ones, can swing on a handful of votes—or even just one.
Navigating the Modern Election Landscape
Modern elections are complex—but they are navigable. Across this series, we’ve explored three critical layers of influence:
Your Vote Matters: Even a single ballot can tip the balance, as local races like Boca Raton’s mayoral election demonstrate. Participation is powerful, and every voter counts.
Information Shapes Perception: Voters no longer rely on a single evening news broadcast. Messages come from cable, social media, podcasts, and online channels, often telling different versions of the same story. Understanding the sources and flow of information is crucial.
Money Fuels the Messages: Funding networks—candidates, PACs, nonprofits, and media platforms—determine which messages are amplified and which reach the voter. Some sources are transparent, others operate in relative opacity.
“Interestingly, transparency in elections and messaging is often a matter of perspective. Some organizations proclaim openness, yet much of the real influence—funding, targeting, amplification—remains hidden. Others may quietly operate with clarity and accountability. For voters, the key is not trusting claims of transparency, but understanding the system itself: who shapes the messages, how they reach you, and why your vote still matters.”
Practical Insights for Voters
Be aware of sources and funding: Consider who might benefit from the message you’re seeing, whether it’s an ad, a social media post, or a podcast.
Cross-check information: Exposure to multiple perspectives can reveal biases or gaps in a single channel’s narrative.
Engage locally: Local elections often swing on very few votes. Grassroots attention can outweigh national influence.
Vote informed: Understanding the mechanics of elections, media, and money equips you to navigate the system intelligently.
Final Thought
Elections are no longer a simple choice between candidates. They are shaped by networks of funding, media channels, and targeted messaging. Awareness of how information flows—and who is paying to shape it—helps voters make decisions that reflect their intent, not just the loudest or best-funded message.
In the end, the power still lies with the voter. Every vote counts, every informed decision matters, and understanding the system is the best way to ensure your voice is heard.
Everyone is still taking everyone to court. Everyone is still winning cases. And yet, it sometimes feels like nobody is actually enforcing anything.
So why are we still dancing?
What is going on?
I’m not asking whether Trump is crazy, asleep, or anything else. I don’t know, and frankly, I don’t need to know.
I’m asking a much simpler question:
How far can you push the system before somebody actually stops you?
Look at the ICE shootings earlier this year. An American woman was shot through the window of her vehicle in Minneapolis. Another man was shot during an ICE operation there.
And before someone jumps in with, “Well, we have an immigration problem,” I’m not talking about immigration.
I’m talking about what happens when an American citizen is shot by the government.
============================================
Are we paying attention?
Because the law may be on our side.
But only if somebody enforces it.
And if we wait until we finally realize it matters, it may already be too late.
Everyone is still taking everyone to court. Everyone is still winning cases. And yet, it sometimes feels like nobody is actually enforcing anything.
So why are we still dancing?
What is going on?
I’m not asking whether Trump is crazy, asleep, or anything else. I don’t know, and frankly, I don’t need to know.
I’m asking a much simpler question:
How far can you push the system before somebody actually stops you?
Look at the ICE shootings earlier this year. An American woman was shot through the window of her vehicle in Minneapolis. Another man was shot during an ICE operation there.
And before someone jumps in with, “Well, we have an immigration problem,” I’m not talking about immigration.
I’m talking about what happens when an American citizen is shot by the government.
Then this week we have an ICE detainee who reportedly complained repeatedly about not receiving his insulin before he died in custody. ICE says he received appropriate medical care. The circumstances and cause of death are still being investigated.
So we have courts issuing orders, lawyers filing challenges, investigations taking place, and government agencies continuing to do what they are doing while all of this winds its way through the system.
And that’s where I keep getting stuck.
What good is the Rule of Law if the law isn’t enforced?
Take the Blanche and Epstein mess.
A federal judge ordered the Justice Department to begin reviewing and producing foreign-language documents covered by the law. The Justice Department argued that doing that wasn’t practical for its initial reviewers. The judge rejected that explanation and warned that contempt could become appropriate if the order wasn’t followed.
Okay.
So what happens next?
Another hearing?
Another order?
Another appeal?
Another few months?
At some point, winning in court isn’t the same thing as enforcing the law.
And that should concern all of us.
I don’t know if any of this is some grand plan to see how far the government can push the boundaries.
But I do know that if you repeatedly test the boundaries and discover that the consequences are slow, uncertain, or nonexistent, eventually someone is going to test them again.
Maybe that’s the plan.
Maybe it isn’t.
But shouldn’t we at least be asking the question?
Because the Rule of Law isn’t simply having laws.
It isn’t simply having judges.
It isn’t simply winning cases.
The Rule of Law means that when a court makes a lawful decision, somebody has the authority — and the willingness — to make sure that decision actually means something.
And here’s the part that bothers me most:
A lot of Americans don’t even know this is happening.
I found that out in a store a couple of days ago. I mentioned the ICE shootings and got the immediate response:
“Well, we have an immigration problem.”
I said, “I’m not talking about immigrants. I’m talking about American citizens who were shot.”
He looked at me like I had just landed from Mars.
He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t MAGA. He wasn’t defending anybody.
He simply didn’t know.
And maybe that’s the biggest problem of all.
Because while we’re busy arguing about Republicans and Democrats, red and blue, left and right, the machinery of government keeps moving.
So I’m asking a very simple question:
Are we paying attention?
Because the law may be on our side.
But only if somebody enforces it.
And if we wait until we finally realize it matters, it may already be too late.
Over the last week, we’ve seen a boom in activity in the media involving Forward Party candidates and our message of political independence. Here are some highlights!
U.S. Senate Candidate (South Dakota) Brian Bengs on MSNOW: “I’m going to caucus with the independents. Period.”
Independent U.S. Senate Candidate (Idaho) Todd Achilles Makes His Case to Voters on Laura Coates Live
Lauren Pinkston in Leaf Chronicle: “Voters frustrated with both major parties are turning Tennessee into a test case for independent politics.”
Andrew Yang in GoLocal Prov: “I and the Forward Party enthusiastically endorse Ken Block for Governor of Rhode Island and hope residents of the state will consider him as the next leader of the state.”
Forward Party CEO, Lindsey Williams Drath, Joins The Weeknight on MSNOW
Our friends at Moving America Forward is hosting a town hall alongside our partners, the Foundation for Independent Voter Education (FIVE) and Veterans for All Voters (VAV), featuring Independent candidates Todd Achilles for U.S. Senate and Sarah Zabel for U.S. House ID-1.
The conversation will be moderated by special guest former New Jersey Governor and Forward Party co-founder Christine Todd Whitman.
We hope to see you there. Change happens in the real world!
Wow. The past month was actually incredible. Forward has been doing the work, knocking on voters doors, attending the National Independents Convention, virtually introducing our candidates to you, and sending over 200k texts in support of candidates.
And that was only September!
We still have one more month to go all in and get some Forwardists elected. But before I fill you in on all the upcoming opportunities, first I need to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who attended our canvassing events in South Dakota and South Carolina! We can’t accomplish any of this without you.
Registering volunteers in SD
Forward Friends meetup before canvassing in SC
And if you missed last week’s Meet the Forwadists, featuring independent Congressional candidates and hosted by Andrew Yang, click the button below to watch the recording!
Next up for Moving America Forward is Boise, Idaho! Volunteers will be canvassing over the weekend, leading up to a Town Hall on Monday Oct 12th @ 5:30pm at Boise State, moderated by Forward co-founder Gov Chrisitine Todd Whitman. They need volunteers to join them! Learn more here.
There will also be a Forward Friends meetupSunday, Oct 11th at 6pm– if you or someone you know is in Boise, come hang with us!
Want to help out on your own time? Learn how to call and welcome new Forward supporters in your state to our party.
I hope everyone is finding a way to play a part this election season. When we all work together we really can make a difference. Whether it’s donating, canvassing, attending events, or sending texts at home from your phone, we all can all have an impact this year. Please reply to this email if you need help getting involved!
Today, a voter might get political information from cable news, a Facebook post, a short video clip on TikTok, or a direct message from a candidate on X (Twitter). Others follow political updates through niche platforms like Truth Social. Instead of one national conversation, we now have thousands of overlapping conversations happening at once
The election is coming up fast. Here are my recommended steps to make sure you are ready to vote.
1) Register: This is a great time to register to vote or make sure your voter registration is up to date. The voter registration deadline for the next election is October 13. It only takes a minute, and you can easily register, check, or update your information any time at oregonvotes.gov.
2) Research: Start researching your vote early. The Voters’ Pamphlet is an excellent resource. And here is the good news: your Voters’ Pamphlet be in the mail to you soon, and it’s already available online. Find it here.
3) Return: Make your plan about how you are going to return your ballot. I recommend using a secure, official drop box. Soon, you’ll be able to find one by going to oregonvotes.gov/dropbox (This tool will be available by October 14 when ballots go out). It is still safe to use the mail to return your ballot, just plan to send it back at least one week before election day.
Help us get the word out and make sure every eligible Oregonian’s vote gets counted this November. Share this information with your friends, neighbors, and family members.
Happy voting,
Tobias Read Oregon Secretary of State
Public Service Announcements
THE STATE VOTERS’ PAMPHLET IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE
The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office publishes a State Voters’ Pamphlet for every statewide election. The office sends one printed pamphlet to every home. Easy-to-use, accessible versions are available on this website, such as PDFs that work with screen readers so everyone can get the election information they need.
September 29: The State Voters’ Pamphlet will be available online.
October 5: The Online Audio Voters’ Guide will be available.
October 7 – 9: The official State Voters’ Pamphlet will be delivered to every residence address in Oregon.
October 9: The official translated State Voters’ Pamphlet and translated county voters’ pamphlets will be available online.
COMING SOON: BALLOT TRACKING NOTIFICATIONS
Soon, the Secretary of State’s office will be announcing how voters in every corner of Oregon can sign up for automatic ballot updates. Subscribers to this newsletter will be the first to know!
The Supreme Court, on September 25th, lifted restrictions on a federal voters database system called Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, in their efforts to verify the eligibility of voters on their rolls. US District Court Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan had blocked the use of the tool in June, saying it violated the American’s privacy rights and could result in voters being wrongly removed from the rolls.
Secretary Read affirmed that this would have no impact on Oregon’s upcoming election.
“Oregon will not participate in a flawed system that will likely result in eligible voters losing their right to vote. Voting is a right and we will continue to protect it for all eligible citizens.”
Upcoming Events
MEDFORD | Oregon Votes Town Hall September 29, 2026 at 6:00 PM | RSVP here
PORTLAND | Oregon Votes Town Hall October 6, 2026 at 6:00 PM | RSVP here
This email was sent to using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
Forward Party Endorses Independent Congressional Candidate Rep. Kevin Kiley in California’s Newly Drawn 6th DistrictWashington D.C. – September 29, 2026 – The Forward Party recently announced its endorsement of Independent Rep. Kevin Kiley, who is seeking reelection to represent California’s newly drawn 6th Congressional District in the November general election, continuing the party’s support for candidates who put constituents ahead of party loyalty. Kiley currently serves as the sole Independent member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a distinction that reflects his consistent record of working across party lines rather than toward any single party’s agenda.
Kiley left the Republican party earlier this year after denouncing the partisan redistricting efforts that took place both in his home state of California and other states across the country. He has become the only sitting independent in Congress and is now looking to prove that success outside the two-party system is viable. Kiley is a rare voice in the House who has consistently called out dysfunction in both parties, pushing for independent representation that breaks institutional gridlock. After being impacted by mid-decade redistricting, Kiley introduced legislation to ban the practice earlier this year.
California’s 24th Congressional District Candidate, Bob Smith, Changes Political Status to Independent
Bob Smith, a Forward Party-backed congressional candidate running in California’s 24th District for a U.S. House seat recently changed his party status from Republican to Independent.
Bob explained the move to a local news crew stating:
“I’ve realized the diverse interests that we have here on the Central Coast from the fishing communities in Morro Bay to the ag communities in North County, down to our cities down here,” said Smith. “We need somebody who’s going to represent the Central Coast first and not political party affiliation.”
Round 3 of Meet the Forwardists focuses on our independent Gubernatorial and Senate candidates, with special guest host Gov. Christine Todd Whitman! Join us to meet:
-Brian Bengs, South Dakota, US Senate
-Todd Achilles, Idaho, US Senate
-Ken Block, Rhode Island, Governor
-Lauren Pinkston, Tennessee, Governor
Without a prescriptive policy platform, Forward Party relies on its candidates to demonstrate our values and ideas on how democracy should run. Don’t miss this opportunity to Meet the Forwardists!
There was a time when most Americans got their news from the same three places: the evening broadcasts of ABC, NBC, and CBS. At six o’clock or ten o’clock, millions of households watched the same headlines. Whether you agreed with the coverage or not, the country largely started from the same set of facts.
That world is gone.
Today, a voter might get political information from cable news, a Facebook post, a short video clip on TikTok, or a direct message from a candidate on X (Twitter). Others follow political updates through niche platforms like Truth Social. Instead of one national conversation, we now have thousands of overlapping conversations happening at once.
When Old Rules Meet New Media
A recent late-night television moment quietly demonstrated how the old media rules collide with the modern media environment.
When host Stephen Colbert attempted to interview Texas legislator James Talarico on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the segment reportedly ran into concerns related to broadcast “equal time” rules—regulations historically overseen by the Federal Communications Commission that were designed to ensure fairness when political candidates appear on broadcast television.
Instead of airing the interview during the television broadcast, the conversation was recorded after the official taping and released online through YouTube. The same interview that could not appear on traditional television could still reach millions of viewers online.
This moment illustrated an important truth about modern political communication: the old broadcast gatekeepers and rules still exist, but they no longer control the flow of information.
Rise of Independent Commentary
Alongside the fractured media landscape, a new class of voices has emerged: independent commentators, legal analysts, and podcasters. Channels run by attorneys, journalists, and civic-minded creators—such as Michael Popok or personalities connected to MeidasTouch Network—offer detailed coverage of lawsuits, filings, and policy disputes.
Many of these creators provide useful expertise, but they operate within a digital attention economy. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok reward content that keeps people watching, clicking, and sharing. Calm, careful explanations may get modest engagement, while dramatic headlines or urgent tones spread rapidly. As a result, much of today’s political news is shaped not only by journalists and editors but also by the mechanisms of digital media itself.
Ideology in the Attention Economy
It’s important to remember that independent commentary often comes with a perspective. Channels like MeidasTouch or individual analysts may lean left, just as other voices lean right. The system doesn’t automatically provide balance—it rewards attention. As a result, the information voters receive reflects both ideology and engagement, and the ecosystem is likely to shift depending on which side captures audience focus.
This also plays directly into how money influences the media landscape. Independent channels that attract audiences are often supported or amplified by funding networks, PACs, or advocacy organizations aligned with their perspective. Understanding these dynamics helps explain why the information voters consume is shaped well before they enter the voting booth—a perfect segue into examining the role of dark money.
Setting Up the Next Step
The result is clear: voters now navigate a complex, fragmented media environment long before they step into a booth. Traditional gatekeepers no longer hold a monopoly on political information. And that leads directly to the next part of the story—who funds the messages that flow through these channels, and how outside money shapes the narrative before it even reaches voters.
Notice of Temporary Administrative Order
OAR 165-007-0550
Procedure for Reporting Elections Results
The Election Division hereby provides notice of rulemaking activity for OAR 165-007-0550. More information may be found below and on our website.
This temporary rule went into effect September 28, 2026.
RULE TEXT: The rule text may be found at this link.
RULE SUMMARY:
The proposed rule outlines the procedure for reporting the status of the tally of ballots received on and after election day. The rule sets forth the method and timeline by which county elections officials must report information to the Secretary of State and the public.
NEED FOR TEMPORARY RULE:
The changes to this rule are needed to ensure that the designated state website for unofficial election results is an accurate, up-to-date, and useful public resource in advance of the November 2026 general election.
First, the changes to this rule would exempt local contests that are subject to ranked-choice voting (“RCV”) from the requirement that counties report results for statewide elections on the designated state website. Instead, counties could request, in writing, that the designated state website redirect the public to a county website that reflects the results for one or more RCV contests. These changes are needed because the designated state website is not currently capable of posting round-by-round tabulation results for RCV contests.
Additionally, the changes to this rule would require counties to provide the source of their Active Registrants Total (“ART”) each time an updated ART appears on the designated state website, as well as authorize the Elections Division to override a county’s ART on the designated state website in limited circumstances. Counties would continue to derive their ART from the Oregon Centralized Voter Registration (“OCVR”) system as they do now. These changes are needed to ensure consistent representation of each county’s ART across the Elections Division’s various publications.
Further, the changes to this rule would clarify and simplify the testing of the designated state website in advance of an election. The changes would allow counties to satisfy testing requirements using sources other than their logic and accuracy test(s), mandate earlier completion of the second test, require that testing results be reported to the state, and eliminate the requirement to clear test results. These changes are needed because the existing requirements pose an undue burden on county elections officials with no benefit to the functionality of the designated state website.
Finally, this rule is needed to ensure consistent statewide reporting of all ballot envelopes received after the Election Day deadline, including those with timely postmarks that arrive too late to be counted. Collecting this information would allow the Elections Division to monitor compliance with postmark and receipt deadlines, evaluate how the postmark law is functioning, identify patterns in ballot acceptance and rejection, and support clear, transparent statewide reporting.
JUSTIFICATION FOR TEMPORARY RULE:
The Secretary of State, Elections Division, finds that the failure to act promptly will result in serious prejudice to the public interest.
For statewide elections, including the upcoming general election in November 2026, counties are required to report results on a designated state website. But one or more Oregon counties will have one or more local contests on the ballot that are subject to RCV, and the designated state website is not currently capable of posting round-by-round tabulation results for RCV contests. If the temporary changes are not in place before the November 2026 election, then these counties will be in technical violation of the rule, and there will not be a uniform method for reporting the results of RCV contests to the public.
Additionally, the existing practice used to identify a county’s ART for election reporting purposes has been a source of confusion for the public. The OCVR system always contains the current and accurate ART, but the timing and method by which the ART is identified can create what appears to be variation between various Elections Division publications. This rule would improve public understanding by ensuring consistent representation of each county’s ART across publications. If these temporary changes are not in place before the November 2026 election, these variations will continue to create confusion, and the Elections Division will not have an opportunity to gather information to inform a permanent rule.
Further, the existing rule creates obstacles for counties, and provides limited benefit to the state, when it comes to testing the designated state website. Requiring the use of public certification test results as the sole source for test data has repeatedly caused delays, contributed to county noncompliance, and offers no discernible advantage over other available test result sources. Additionally, the requirement to clear test results prevents neighboring counties and the Elections Division from reviewing the content of multi county and statewide contests. If these temporary changes are not implemented before the November 2026 election, the existing rule will once again hinder proper testing and could lead to unacceptable issues with the designated state website.
Finally, counties are required to report some information about ballots received after Election Day in accordance with this rule, but the existing rule does not require any reporting regarding ballots with timely postmarks that arrive too late to be counted. If these temporary changes are not implemented before the November 2026 election, information about these ballots will not be required to be reported to the Elections Division, hindering the Division’s ability to monitor compliance with postmark and receipt deadlines, evaluate how the postmark law is functioning, identify patterns in ballot acceptance and rejection, and support clear, transparent statewide reporting.
This email was sent to using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
Secretary Read: Supreme Court Ruling Will Have No Impact on Oregon’s Election
SALEM, OR — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed a controversial federal database to be used for reviewing voter eligibility in this November’s general election. States can voluntarily send voter data to the federal government to be checked against the SAVE system, which has already been shown to have a high error rate.
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read released the following statement:
“Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court will have no impact on Oregon’s upcoming election. Oregon will not participate in a flawed system that will likely result in eligible voters losing their right to vote. However, today demonstrates that President Trump and his administration will never stop trying to avoid accountability from voters. Voting is a right and we will continue to protect it for all eligible citizens.”
This email was sent to using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
Yah, so we have been going on and on about the Democrats getting into power, taking control of the House, well, that’s a given and maybe even the Senate. That’s not a given, but there’s a good chance.
But okay. They do it.
So what?
What do you expect? Massive change? Impeach Trump, throw the administration behind bars where they belong? Oh, still my beating heart. If only it could happen that easily.
Reality is raising its ugly head. What’s going to happen? Well, I’ll tell you what’s going to happen.
A lot of INVESTIGATIONS.
A lot of ARM WAVING.
A lot of NAME CALLING.
A lot of NOTHING.
Why?
Because the Democrats have their own dirty laundry.
Because both parties depend on wealthy donors, corporations, interest groups and the mountains of money that now flow through our political system. Because the same basic system of campaign contributions, lobbying and dark money that Republicans complain about when Democrats benefit from it is the same system Democrats complain about when Republicans benefit from it.
The names are different.
The excuses are different.
The money is still money.
Don’t get me wrong. We will see change. We may see Trump and his political machine dismantled. We may see investigations that uncover things that actually deserve to be uncovered. We may see parts of the Trump political operation disappear.
But will the underlying system change?
That’s the question.
Because if you simply replace one political machine with another, what have you really fixed?
We aren’t going to see fundamental change until we start dealing with the two-party system itself, until Citizens United is addressed, and until the super-rich lose some of their influence over our government.
They will never lose all of it.
Because money is power, and that’s just the way it is.
This is a late-in-the-evening post.
I am reminded of Chuck Keller’s recent post where he brought up alcohol, and I made a comment about how every now and again I guess we all, including Hemingway, must stand there sober occasionally.
Well, today isn’t that day.
I cleaned my smoker. I scraped the grease from the BBQ. I showered twice. I even did a paying job.
And now I’m sitting here with a glass of bourbon, my poison of choice, which apparently makes me willing to admit that I can appreciate the Chinese game plan:
Don’t think about tomorrow. Think about the next 100 years.
So, looking forward:
Who are we going to let call the shots?
A bunch of rich dudes who only want to get richer?
Or…
Maybe that’s the question we should be asking before we decide that simply changing who holds the gavels means we have changed the system.
Because making that decision tomorrow may be too late.
Forward Party Endorses Diana DiZoglio for Massachusetts State Auditor
Washington D.C. – September 23, 2026– The Forward Party recently announced its endorsement of Massachusetts State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, who is running for re-election in November, continuing the party’s commitment to supporting officials who fight for transparency and accountability regardless of party. DiZoglio has built her career on holding Beacon Hill accountable to the people it serves, a mission she has pursued relentlessly since taking office as the Commonwealth’s chief accountability officer in 2023.
“Diana DiZoglio has shown what it looks like to actually fight for transparency instead of just talking about it. She took on entrenched interests in her own party in pursuit of an audit of the Legislature that voters overwhelmingly demanded, and she hasn’t backed down since. That kind of independence and accountability to the public rather than to political insiders is exactly what Forward stands for.”
It’s time to hit the pavement in Rapid City! This Saturday!
Our affiliate partner and friend, Moving America Forward, will be canvassing to connect with independent voters. Join them and get out into your community to have real conversations about real solutions. Whether your first time canvassing or you’re a seasoned veteran, all experience levels are needed! Training and materials will be provided.
There will be a morning deployment from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and an afternoon deployment from 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM.
Additionally, Moving America Forward will be hosting a multi-partner coalition dinner (5:30 PM – 8:00 PM) for participating volunteers and partner organizations, featuring special guest speaker and U.S. Senate candidate Brian Bengs.
Let me ask you one question: just how many votes does it take to win an election? 1,000? 100? 10? Or maybe… just 1?
Early reports from the 2026 Boca Raton mayoral race suggested it could have been a single vote. One person deciding to mail their ballot—or to skip it—could have changed the outcome entirely. In the end, it turned out the margin was five votes. Still, in a city election, that’s barely a handful—and it perfectly illustrates why every vote truly matters.
In May 2026 (around the primary election), officials noted that Oregon has 321 official drop boxes (also called drop sites). These are available until 8 p.m. on Election Day, are monitored, and include fire-suppression features.
newsfromthestates.com
The state does not maintain a single permanent public “total” page that is always updated outside election periods. Instead:
The Oregon Secretary of State provides an Oregon Drop Box Locator tool (sos.oregon.gov) that lists locations statewide. It becomes available about 21 days before a statewide election.
sos.oregon.gov
Individual counties publish their own lists and counts (e.g., Clackamas County has listed 26 sites; Multnomah County has listed around 30).
Oregon is an all-mail voting state, so every registered voter gets a ballot by mail and can return it by mail (postmarked by Election Day) or at any official drop box/site in the state. The number of boxes can vary slightly by election as counties adjust locations. For the most current count or map during an election window, check the Secretary of State’s Drop Box Locator or your county elections office.
Let me ask you one question: just how many votes does it take to win an election? 1,000? 100? 10? Or maybe… just 1?
Early reports from the 2026 Boca Raton mayoral race suggested it could have been a single vote. One person deciding to mail their ballot—or to skip it—could have changed the outcome entirely. In the end, it turned out the margin was five votes. Still, in a city election, that’s barely a handful—and it perfectly illustrates why every vote truly matters.
More Than Just a Ballot: How Votes Are Shaped Before They’re Cast
Even in small towns, elections don’t work the way most of us think. There was a time when Americans largely got the same story from the evening news—ABC, NBC, CBS. Today, a voter in rural Montana might watch a cable town hall on CNN, scroll X for candidate updates, and see a TikTok ad funded by a local political action committee. By the time they step into the booth, the story they’ve absorbed is a patchwork of channels, platforms, and messages—and each piece is shaped by someone trying to influence their choice.
Concrete Example — Boca Raton Mayor
Andy Thomson won the 2026 Boca Raton mayoral race by just five votes, after machine counts and multiple manual recounts. Early reports suggested the margin could have been a single vote. In other words, a handful—or even one—ballot could have changed the result.
In Boca Raton, like everywhere else, candidates weren’t just counting ballots—they were trying to reach voters with the right information at the right time. Even small shifts in turnout or perception could tip the scales. And that’s where the system behind elections—the information channels, messaging, and media—starts to matter.
Your vote can change outcomes, even if it feels invisible. And the information you receive before you vote—the stories, ads, news, and commentary—plays a role in shaping that choice. Understanding the system is the first step in making your vote count.
Core Explanation: Elections Are No Longer Simple
Voting today is no longer a straight line from candidate to voter. It’s a complex web of influence:
Traditional layers remain: parties, candidates, ballots, volunteers.
Digital platforms amplify influence: social media and apps deliver precise messages to specific audiences.
Fragmented media environment: cable, social media, and online outlets deliver very different stories, so voters rarely encounter the same information.
The end result is clear: votes aren’t just cast—they’re shaped long before they reach the ballot box.
Relatable Example Continued
Imagine Mary, a voter navigating today’s environment. She sees:
A Facebook post from a candidate’s page highlighting local infrastructure promises
A TikTok ad from a PAC showing a dramatic clip about healthcare
A cable news segment analyzing the same election in a different context
Each source presents a slightly different narrative. Mary has to make sense of it all—but the truth behind who funded each message is mostly invisible. And yet, in places like Boca Raton, a handful of votes—or even one—can decide who governs the city. That’s the tangible power of participation.
Pattern / Insight
This isn’t about ideology. It’s about mechanics. The flow of information—shaped by parties, outside money, and digital platforms—affects every voter. Understanding that flow gives people the clarity to see why elections look the way they do today, beyond the surface headlines.
Understanding why every vote matters is only the first part of the story. Equally important is how the information voters receive before Election Day is shaped and delivered. From traditional network broadcasts to social media, cable news, and independent commentary, the channels through which voters learn about candidates and issues have multiplied—and fragmented. To see why elections look the way they do today, we need to look closely at the modern media landscape.
Date: September 21, 2026 Contact: Tess Seger | tess.seger@sos.oregon.gov
Voting Guidance TV PSA Launched by Oregon Secretary of State
SALEM, OR — Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read is broadcasting new public service announcements to inform all eligible Oregonians about how to make sure their ballot gets counted this November. The announcements were produced and placed in partnership with the Oregon Association of Broadcasters and television stations across Oregon. Later this month, this message will also be aired statewide on radio stations
“Eligible voter needs to know how to make sure their vote counts this November. With all the back and forth and uncertainty, I am committed to providing Oregonians with clear information about how to get their ballot in on time this year, and we’re getting this message out in every way we can,” said Secretary Read.
“I want to thank the Oregon Association of Broadcasters and television stations across the state for working with us to get this important message out.”
The public service announcement can be found here, and a transcript is below:
Voting Guidance Public Service Announcement Transcript
Oregon, the next election is November 3rd. Are you ready?
Secretary of State Tobias Read here encouraging you to make a plan and vote early.
Your ballot will arrive by mail.
To return it, your best option is a secure drop box.
If you must use the mail, send your ballot at least one week before election day.
Track your ballot, find drop boxes, and more at OregonVotes.gov.
You have the power to decide Oregon’s future. Vote.
Sponsored by the Oregon Secretary of State, the Oregon Association of Broadcasters and this station.
This email was sent to com using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
Date: September 18, 2026 Contact: Tess Seger | tess.seger@sos.oregon.gov
Is it Official Election Mail? A PSA from Secretary of State Tobias Read
SALEM, OR — The 2026 General Election is underway, and Oregonians are beginning to receive mail and other communication related to their vote. To prevent confusion and combat misinformation, Secretary of State Tobias Read is once again reminding Oregonians how to identify whether election-related communications come from an official source – or not.
“We’re already getting reports about misleading mail going out to voters, so I want Oregonians to have the tools to be able to tell fact from fiction,” said Secretary Read. “The good news is, it’s pretty simple: If you receive something in the mail about voter registration or your ability to participate in the upcoming election, look for the official election mail logo to verify that it’s from an official source.”
If Oregonians receive mail about an election that does not have the official election mail logo, here are some important things to keep in mind:
If the mailer does not display the official election logo, it did not come from your local or state election office.
Third-party groups often use outdated or incorrect data.
Your local election office maintains the most accurate, up-to-date voter registration information. If you want to make sure your registration is correct, go to oregonvotes.gov/myvote or call 1-866-673-VOTE.
About the Official Election Mail Logo
The Official Election Mail logo is a trademarked design that can only be used on mail pieces created by, or on behalf of, an election official that is mailed to or from a U.S. citizen for the purpose of participating in the voting process. This includes items like balloting materials, voter registration cards, and voter reply mail.
The logo design features an interpretation of the stars and stripes of the American flag, and the words “Official Election Mail,” clearly visible over the designation — “Authorized by the U.S. Postal Service.” It can only be printed in black or specific shades of blue or red.
Oregon voters with further questions about election-related mail can reach out to the Oregon Secretary of State’s Elections Division or contact their local county clerk.
This email was sent to using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
I generally don’t weight in on Shared Posts, but if you think it’s time to weaken the 2 party stranglehold on today’s politics and Superpac money that controls the candidates and the elections, then you need to read this, and then make your voice heard.
Forward Party CEO, Lindsey Williams Drath, Vows Pursuit of Equity in Ballot Access After US Supreme Court Petition Denial
Washington D.C. – September 17, 2026 – “Today we learned the United States Supreme Court’s Tenth Circuit has chosen to deny New Mexico Forward Party’s petition for injunctive relief in its lawsuit, ‘New Mexico Forward Party v. Toulouse Oliver’, preventing two Forwardists, Bob Perls and Michael Vigil, from being added to the November 3rd ballot.
“Though we are disappointed in the court’s decision to not add Perls and Vigil to the ballot in time for the immediate upcoming election, we remain encouraged and steadfast in our belief that unconstitutional signature requirements in the state of New Mexico will soon fall when the case is heard in full.
“Onerous and opaque signature requirements are just one of the many ways the legacy parties lock out potential competition at the polls, reducing candidate options for voters. There are examples of questionable ballot access requirements in other states across the country wherein independent candidates are met with mountainous tasks and red tape to be listed on the ballot, while Democrats and Republicans step over relative molehills.
“This moment further underscores the need for the Federal Election Commission to recognize Forward as a national party committee in 2028. Without it, the independent movement is severely disadvantaged, preventing full coordination across every surface of the political process. I look forward to the proceedings of the New Mexico Forward Party’s lawsuit at a later date and thank them for their continued diligence in pursuing this matter.”
— Forward Party CEO, Lindsey Williams Drath
About Forward Party
The Forward Party is bringing moderates, conservatives, and progressives together to heal our political divisions, find our shared ground, and create a brighter future for America. Forward Party candidates are accountable to the voters, and they will focus on solutions, not partisan fighting, in order to serve their constituents better.
The Forward Party may be on the verge of an independent governing fulcrum in the Senate.
For years, we’ve talked about what it would mean to have independent voices holding the balance of power in Congress. Now, with Todd Achilles in Idaho and Brian Bengs in South Dakota running competitive, one-on-one Senate races, we’re seeing that possibility take shape in real time.
Todd and Brian recently joined former Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey on Boston Public Radio to talk about their campaigns and the independent opportunity.
About the Forward Party
The Forward Party is bringing moderates, conservatives, and progressives together to heal our political divisions, find our shared ground, and create a brighter future for America. Forward Party candidates are accountable to the voters, and they will focus on solutions, not partisan fighting, in order to serve their constituents better.
Our affiliate partner, Moving America Forward, will be canvassing to connect with independent voters. Join them and get out into your community to have real conversations about real solutions. Whether your first time canvassing or you’re a seasoned veteran, all experience levels are needed! Training and materials will be provided.
There will be a morning deployment from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and an afternoon deployment from 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM.
Additionally, Moving America Forward will be hosting a multi-partner coalition dinner (5:30 PM – 8:00 PM) for participating volunteers and partner organizations, featuring special guest speaker and U.S. Senate candidate Brian Bengs.
Hope your September is going well. We had an incredible Meet the Forwardists event with NBC’s Chuck Todd last week, thank you so much to everyone who was able to join! For those who were unable, it was recorded, and you can click the button below to watch.
But don’t worry, we are nowhere near done introducing our candidates! Tomorrow, Wed Sept 16th at 8pm ET the Women’s Committee has a candidate panel with some of our incredible female Forward candidates, from states like KY, NC, NV, and more. Then nextThurs Sept 24th at 8pm ET Andrew Yang will introduce some of our independent congressional candidates and discuss the Fulcrum strategy. We will round out the series on Thursday Oct 1st at 8pm with Gov Whitman and our independent gubernatorial and Senate candidates. Make sure to mark your calendar!
Don’t forget we are also texting for candidates. We have over 50,000 texts that need to be sent out ASAP! Check out our Forward Text Force information below and sign up to get started or attend an upcoming event!
Our partner organization, Moving America Forward, will be hosting a Forward March, consisting of in person deployments in multiple states to to educate and mobilize independent voters over the next few weeks, and they need your help! The first one is next weekend, Sept 25th & 26th, in Rapid City, SD.
Date: September 14, 2026 Contact: Tess Seger | tess.seger@sos.oregon.gov
Supreme Court Decision: Oregon Will Vote-By-Mail in Upcoming Election
SALEM, OR — Tonight, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict mail-in voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, blocking changes that would have caused major disruption just days before the first ballots are sent to Oregon voters.
The decision is the latest in a series of court rulings preserving states’ constitutionally-granted authority to administer elections and allowing existing mail-voting rules to remain in place for the midterms.
“Oregon will vote-by-mail in the November election. Eligible voters should plan to return their ballots via secure drop box or mail them back at least seven days early,” said Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read.
“This is a victory for Oregonians, the right to vote, and the rule of law. This provides voters and elections officials with the certainty they need ahead of a major, federal election, and it sends a clear message to this country: Presidents don’t run elections, the people do.”
This email was sent to …… using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
Forward Party CEO Agrees with New Mexico Attorney General: Minor Party Signature Requirements in the State are Unconstitutional
Washington D.C. – September 14, 2026 – “Late last week we learned the Attorney General of New Mexico, Raúl Torrez, filed an amicus curiae in support of the New Mexico Forward Party’s motion for injunctive relief in its lawsuit, ‘New Mexico Forward Party v. Toulouse Oliver’.
“Our party’s motion for relief asserts the state law requiring minor political party candidates to gather 14,200 signatures each in order to appear on the general election ballot — even after achieving statewide minor party status — is overly burdensome and wildly misaligned with the Democratic candidate requirement of 2,505 signatures and the Republican candidate requirement of 2,351.
“Simply put, New Mexico’s attorney general — a Democrat — agrees that asking minor party candidates in the state to achieve many multiples of what is required of legacy party candidates is unfair, prevents reasonable competition at the polls and effectively eliminates challenges to legacy party candidates in the state. We agree with Attorney General Torrez in his assessment that these burdensome signature requirements are not only unfair, but also unconstitutional.
“The American people are beginning to understand that Democrats and Republicans alike have a vested interest in maintaining their duopoly on American politics. Wrestling power from one another, back and forth, is more closely aligned with the theatrics associated with the lead up to a WWE championship match than representative, consensus-based governance intended by the framers of our constitution. The people of New Mexico deserve choices in who and how they are governed. The easiest way to provide additional candidate options is to even the playing field and equalize signature requirements regardless of party affiliation.
“We at the Forward Party are grateful to Attorney General Torrez for his courage in filing this historic amicus curiae and look forward to the full resolution of this issue — with Forward Party candidates fully present and on the ballot this November.”
— Forward Party CEO, Lindsey Williams Drath
About Forward Party
The Forward Party is bringing moderates, conservatives, and progressives together to heal our political divisions, find our shared ground, and create a brighter future for America. Forward Party candidates are accountable to the voters, and they will focus on solutions, not partisan fighting, in order to serve their constituents better.
Have you ever played a game of checkers where all you did was run around the board — no move was a good move? Played a game of chess against some player so inept that he beat the pants off you because you just didn’t take him seriously?
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Republicans and Democrats should be partners, not adversaries. Some states should lean blue, some red — and honestly, carry that down to the county level if we ever get the chance. Different values for different environments. That’s not weakness. That’s actually how it’s supposed to work.
And if we can ever get free of the two-party stranglehold, we limit the influence of outside money. Wouldn’t that be something.
For now — time to get rid of the stink.
Start asking hard questions. The first person you need to ask them of is yourself. You might be surprised at the answers.
There is a vaccine for authoritarianism. It’s called the vote, and it’s delivered by the ballot box.
Have you ever played a game of checkers where all you did was run around the board — no move was a good move? Played a game of chess against some player so inept that he beat the pants off you because you just didn’t take him seriously?
That’s what it feels like to be a Republican right now. Just out and out F^%%% ked. Yes, too many characters on purpose — because you let it drag out way too long.
MAGA to the rescue? How about just the opposite. The original RINO taking you to the cleaners, and you’re so squeaky clean by now you can’t even find a quarter to do your own dirty laundry.
What happened?
Make America Gullible Again. And it worked. Oh, you thought it meant something else? Sucker.
Well, we are screwed now. Yes — we. You see, I am a registered Republican as well. But unlike a lot of you, Jan 6th opened my eyes. I saw through the bullshit at that point.
I slept on this last night. And then my phone buzzed.
A text from my MAGA friend — yes, I still have friends who don’t believe the way I do. The headline: “More Americans are identifying as Democrats.” What? Well, probably yes. And that’s a shame.
There isn’t anything wrong with conservative values. We just let Bozo with his orange makeup distort them. The first RINO did what he does best. He called you what he is.
He called Biden a crook. Who’s the thief? Who is the fox in the hen house?
Here’s how the con works: 10% of what he said was true. That’s how you sell the bullshit. That 10% — the part that could have some fact behind it — makes it feel legit. Forget the 90%. That 10% covered the stink.
But nothing covers the stink anymore.
Even he admits it now. If you don’t vote for the candidate he endorses, you are voting against Donald Trump. It’s all about him. My God — just how did Graham’s sister get the nomination? Wake up, Republicans. Donald Trump is no more a Republican than the moon is made of green cheese.
The skunk odor of MAGA will go away eventually. It always does. But it takes time and it takes work.
Here’s what that work looks like: you might lose some elections while you sort this out. That’s the price. It’s cheaper than the alternative — which is either giving up entirely or staying on the same path that got you here.
There is another way.
Start voting for yourself. Not for him. Not for the party. Not for the noise. For yourself — for what you actually believe when the television is off and nobody is watching. And when you drop it in the box, knowing what you voted for and why, you might be surprised how good that feels.
Pay attention to your local politics more than the national hoopla. What works in New York isn’t what works in Mayberry, and decent national leadership will support that difference instead of forcing everyone to bend the knee.
Republicans and Democrats should be partners, not adversaries. Some states should lean blue, some red — and honestly, carry that down to the county level if we ever get the chance. Different values for different environments. That’s not weakness. That’s actually how it’s supposed to work.
And if we can ever get free of the two-party stranglehold, we limit the influence of outside money. Wouldn’t that be something.
For now — time to get rid of the stink.
Start asking hard questions. The first person you need to ask them of is yourself. You might be surprised at the answers.
There is a vaccine for authoritarianism. It’s called the vote, and it’s delivered by the ballot box.
Legislature Passes Emergency Funding for Drop Boxes, Improved Ballot Tracking for Voters
Secretary Read advocated for these resources on behalf of Oregonians concerned about the upcoming general election amid federal attacks
SALEM, OR — Today, the Joint Emergency Board allocated $1.25 million to the Oregon Secretary of State to expand the state’s network of secure, official ballot drop boxes and provide all Oregonians greater transparency into the status of their ballot.
“I told Oregonians I would use every tool available to ensure Oregon’s elections remain secure, accurate, and fair despite ongoing federal attacks,”Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read said. “Oregonians will have more secure locations to return their ballots this election and a tool to be confident that their vote was counted. These are critical investments that will have real impact. I want to thank the Oregon Legislature and legislative leadership for their partnership in supporting Oregon’s elections.”
Secretary Read advocated for the funding request to legislators on a budget subcommittee earlier in the week. It passed both committees with unanimous support.
“Oregonians have safely and effectively voted by mail for decades. Secretary Read’s work to maintain access to vote by mail is essential during this time of unprecedented federal challenges to our elections. The funding allocated today by the Emergency Board supports the Secretary’s work and helps ensure that all Oregon voters have an opportunity to cast a ballot – a goal that we should all share,” said House Speaker Julie Fahey (D-West Eugene, Veneta), co-chair of the Joint Emergency Board.
“Thanks to Secretary of State Read, Oregonians can continue to have complete confidence in our state’s voting system. Ensuring the integrity of every ballot and protecting the principle that every vote counts are at the center of our nation’s democracy. The Joint Legislative Emergency Board’s investment in key areas supporting these ideals comes at a time when threats to derail our 30-year legacy of secure, accurate vote-by-mail elections have never been greater,” said Senate President Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego), co-chair of the Joint Emergency Board.
Emergency funding of $618,000 will pay for additional drop box locations and expenses related to an anticipated increase in drop box usage. Implementation will require county support, site preparation, and procurement.
The Secretary of State’s office conducted a comprehensive study to identify gaps in drop box availability around the state and final locations will be announced when established.
An additional $154,000 will allow the Secretary of State’s office to provide all Oregon voters access to BallotTrax, an opt-in service that gives voters updates on the status of their ballot: when it is sent, when their county receives it, and when their signature has been accepted so their ballot can be counted. Currently five counties provide BallotTrax as a service to voters and it is widely popular.
The remaining $480,000 will allow counties to send updated voter notification cards to inactive voters to continue the process of clearing old data from the inactive voter list. The impact to the upcoming election will be negligible because inactive voters cannot vote and do not receive ballots. This data management will improve public trust in Oregon’s voter rolls.
This email was sent to using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
Greatest party of all time, look at the attendance, we had to turn people away, they said when we filled the camera’s field of view, that was enough. It was for your safety. Really it was for you. My loyalists, that’s why we kept 2 out of 3 seats empty. For you, for your safety, we didn’t want anyone crushed trying to leave in a hurry.
Here we are, the largest party of all for ME, and well for the candidates running for office during the mid-terms. Well, really for ME.
Speaking of me, because that’s why we are all here anyway, they say those other people, you know who I’m talking about, the ones that — choke — don’t like me, if you can believe anyone doesn’t like me, may actually stand a chance of winning in the upcoming elections. I know, I know. I have done all I can to protect us.
I have tried to stop the elections, I have tried to prevent mail-in voting — older people who vote against me can’t get out to the voting stations — I have tried to have voting stations removed from those blue counties, yes, right here in Great Old Red Star, oops, I mean Lone Star Texas.
But even the courts, even the Supreme Courts, Supreme my orange ass, has traitors, commie traitors, why they even don’t want me giving Jan 6th Rioters a Billion Dollars for their insurrection, no, wait, their patriotism. Yes, that’s right. Patriotism.
But I have a grand plan, one they didn’t see coming, they didn’t see coming because I’m so smart, I’m a genius, a genius among geniuses. You could check my school records of course, except they have been threatened with lawsuits if they disclose any of that information, information, what a big word, like affordability.
Speaking of affordability, here is what I’m going to do, but it only works if I stay in POWER, wait, in Office.
I’m going to give every adult $5,000.00 if I stay in POWER, oops, there it went again, in office. Yes, $5,000.00.
Just don’t think about the issues, don’t think about wars, don’t think about healthcare, don’t think about schools, don’t think about SNAP. Don’t think about anything but your own greed, yes, think like me. Just look at the ballot and if the choice says Republican make that disappear and see a glorious MAGA and TRUMP there instead.
Fine Print: Congress needs to approve this. Congress needs to be MAGA Cronies on the take. Money will come from D.O.G.E. non-existent funds. Money will come from Illegal Tariffs that the traitor courts have already demanded be returned (of course you still didn’t get any of the actual cash). I will drag this lie out until you give up so the 1.6 Trillion Dollars will never be added to the deficit anyway, sucker.
Oregon Leaders Stand United in Protecting Vote-By-Mail Elections
New data released on the May 2026 primary indicates more ballots rejected due to late postmarks
SALEM, OR — Today, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read held a press conference with Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to discuss their work protecting Oregon’s safe, accurate, and fair vote-by-mail elections and the ongoing battle over the federal government’s illegal actions.
A recording of the press conference can be found here.
“There is a lot of uncertainty right now. There are a lot of people trying to make voting harder or more confusing. But Oregon is not going to sit back and hope for the best. We are going to prepare. We are going to adapt. And we are going to protect every eligible Oregonian’s right to vote,”Secretary Read said.
“Vote-by-mail is what Oregonians have come to know and rely on, and that’s why protecting our elections isn’t about one political party or another,”Governor Kotek said. “We are all better off when everyone can participate in our elections without disruption, confusion, or threat. We stand united in that belief.”
“Oregon set the gold standard for vote by mail decades ago, proving that when you make voting safe, accessible, and convenient, democracy thrives,”Senator Wyden said. “Oregonians will not stand by while radical federal overreach and postal disruptions threaten to strip away our fundamental right to make our voices heard. As the first U.S. Senator to be elected entirely by mail-in voting, I’ll keep fighting in Washington to stand by mail-in voting because we know it works and has been fraud free for decades. I’ll ensure every valid vote in Oregon is counted no matter what hurdles are thrown in our way.”
“In a republic, the voters choose their leaders. But Trump is striving to flip that concept and allow one leader, himself, to choose the voters. We must do everything we can to stop his effort to rig the November election, and that includes a fierce defense of our secure, accessible, high-integrity vote-by-mail system,”Senator Merkley said.
Earlier today, Secretary Read released the official turnout and participation statistics for the May 2026 primary election, which includes new statistics and data visualizations to improve transparency in Oregon’s elections.
The data shows that more ballots were rejected in this year’s primary due to late postmarks than in other recent primary elections.
7,314 ballots received during the 7-day post-election grace period in the May 2026 primary were rejected for having a late postmark. This represents an increase of 35% compared to 5,404 ballots rejected for late postmarks in May 2022, the last midterm primary.
Put in terms of rates of rejection for ballots received in the 7-day grace period, 13.1% were rejected for having a late postmark in 2026. In the 2024 primary, that rate was 9.5%, and in 2022, it was 8.2%.
That means more Oregonians had their voices go unheard this year just because their ballots didn’t make it through the mail on time.
In response, Secretary Read is continuing to urge Oregon voters to return their ballot using one of the 324 secure, official drop boxes located across the state.
To make this option more convenient for more Oregonians, Secretary Read made emergency request to the Oregon Legislature for funds to pay for 20 additional drop boxes and to cover the costs associated with increased drop box usage. He also requested funding for an opt-in statewide ballot tracking tool that can provide Oregonians with more information about the status of their ballot so they can act quickly if there are any disruptions.
7,314 ballots received during the 7-day post-election grace period in the May 2026 primary were rejected for having a late postmark. This represents an increase of 35% compared to 5,404 ballots rejected for late postmarks in May 2022, the last midterm primary.
Put in terms of rates of rejection for ballots received in the 7-day grace period, 13.1% were rejected for having a late postmark in 2026. In the 2024 primary, that rate was 9.5%, and in 2022, it was 8.2%.
That means more Oregonians had their voices go unheard this year just because their ballots didn’t make it through the mail on time.
In response, Secretary Read is continuing to urge Oregon voters to return their ballot using one of the 324 secure, official drop boxes located across the state.
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Secretary Read Requests Emergency Funding for Election Security
Additional resources would provide voters with greater confidence and transparency amid federal attacks on elections
SALEM, OR — Today, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read proposed concrete steps to provide eligible Oregonians with more ways to return their ballots and make sure their votes get counted.
In testimony before a budget subcommittee of the Oregon Legislature, Secretary Read advocated for a total of $1.25 million in emergency funding to support Oregon’s elections as the federal government continues its attempts to control and undermine election integrity.
“Our goal is simple: every eligible Oregonian should have a clear and dependable way to cast a ballot and be confident that their vote gets counted,” Secretary Read said. “Expanding drop box access and providing a means for voters to track their ballot are some of the tools we have to protect Oregonians’ right to vote. I’m grateful to the Legislature for considering the request for emergency funding on behalf of Oregon voters.”
The funding request has three main components: supporting greater access to official drop boxes, providing an opt-in ballot tracking system for voters, and taking the next step to clear out old data in the inactive voter list.
Recently, the Oregon Secretary of State’s office conducted a comprehensive study to identify gaps in drop box availability around the state. Multiple locations were identified where an additional drop box would give Oregonians better access to submitting their ballots through this secure method.
Emergency funding of $618,000 would pay for 20 drop boxes and expenses related to an increase in drop box usage. Installation requires coordination with local leaders and quick work to get as many drop boxes as possible functional before the election.
Every voter in Oregon should have access to the same tools to protect their vote, and $154,000 would expand BallotTrax statewide. Currently five counties use this opt-in service that provides updates to voters about their ballot: when it is sent, when their county receives it on the way back, and when their signature has been accepted so their ballot can be counted.
The final $480,000 would allow counties to send voter notification cards to inactive voters to continue the process of clearing out old data on the inactive voter list. Inactive voters do not receive ballots and do not impact the outcome of any election, but proper data management is important.
The funding request advanced with unanimous support and will be considered by the Emergency Board on Thursday.
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09/08/26 Oregon – Your State Update – Is YOUR State making sure you have a fair election?? That’s a huge question and it doesn’t matter if it’s a Blue or a Red State, Our Elections are Sacred to our Freedom and our Democracy. What matters isn’t the winner as long as it is the person that we voted for. I sincerely hope you are following your State and DEMANDING they are providing you a fair election. It is your RIGHT, not a privileged. There is a great deal about Oregon’s leadership I personally disagree with but I am proud as hell of their Election Division.
This email was sent to using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
Date: September 4, 2026 Contact: Connor Radnovich | connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov
Vote-by-Mail Press Conference with Secretary of State Tobias Read, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley
SALEM, OR — On Tuesday, September 8, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read will hold a press conference with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to address Oregon’s response to the Executive Order and U.S. Postal Service rules that could restrict vote-by-mail. They will cover what actions can be taken now to protect Oregon’s safe, accurate, and fair vote-by-mail elections, in addition to the ongoing legal challenges to the actions taken by the federal government.
EVENT INFORMATION
WHO: Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley
WHAT: Vote-by-Mail Press Conference
WHERE: Oregon State Capitol Building Press Conference Room
WHEN: Tuesday, September 8 at 10:15 a.m.
MEDIA RSVP: To reserve your spot at the press conference or receive a remote access link, email connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov
Date: September 4, 2026 Contact: Connor Radnovich | connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov
Secretary Read: Ruling Reaffirms Oregon’s Vote-by-Mail Elections Will Proceed As Planned
SALEM, OR — Today, a federal judge extended a legal block against the U.S. Postal Service from implementing its rules that would illegally restrict vote-by-mail in the upcoming general election.
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read is releasing the following statement:
“This is an important win, and it reaffirms that our secure, fair, accurate vote-by-mail elections will go forward as they always do. While this fight is not over, this preliminary injunction should give voters and elections officials more confidence; there is now another, stronger barrier between our elections and illegal interference from the federal government. It’s time for the federal government to realize they are not above the law and respect the Constitution and Oregonians’ right to determine how our elections are run.”
In May 2026 (around the primary election), officials noted that Oregon has 321 official drop boxes (also called drop sites). These are available until 8 p.m. on Election Day, are monitored, and include fire-suppression features.
newsfromthestates.com
The state does not maintain a single permanent public “total” page that is always updated outside election periods. Instead:
The Oregon Secretary of State provides an Oregon Drop Box Locator tool (sos.oregon.gov) that lists locations statewide. It becomes available about 21 days before a statewide election.
sos.oregon.gov
Individual counties publish their own lists and counts (e.g., Clackamas County has listed 26 sites; Multnomah County has listed around 30).
Oregon is an all-mail voting state, so every registered voter gets a ballot by mail and can return it by mail (postmarked by Election Day) or at any official drop box/site in the state. The number of boxes can vary slightly by election as counties adjust locations. For the most current count or map during an election window, check the Secretary of State’s Drop Box Locator or your county elections office.
We’d like to highlight more candidate endorsements this week. Adding to our slate of federal candidates are two Navy veterans who meet the standard we value at Forward Party.
They are John Gregory Vincent of South Carolina, running for U.S. House (SC-07) and Bob Smith of California, running for U.S. House (CA-24). They are on opposite coasts and opposite sides of the political spectrum, but both are running because they believe the communities they want to serve deserve representation that actually serves them.
John Gregory Vincent is running as a Democrat and Bob Smith is running as a Republican. As we have argued for years, the letter next to the name should not matter. Forward Party endorses candidates based on simple principles: are they prepared to serve their constituents, work with people who don’t share their politics and focus on delivering results rather than performing for their base?
In both cases, the answer is yes.
Meet John Gregory Vincent
Democratic Candidate — U.S. House
South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District
John Gregory Vincent spent 20 years in the Navy, retired as a Command Master Chief responsible for the welfare and training of service members across seven bases and five military branches, and came home to South Carolina to spend the next chapter of his career in service to his community.
He served on the Board of Directors of the Augusta Kiwanis. He is the Small and Minority Business co-chair for the Florence Chamber of Commerce. He is involved with the committee supporting the Veterans Park in Florence. And he has been sober for more than two decades, which he speaks about publicly and directly, working to reduce the stigma that keeps people from seeking treatment.
His campaign is built around four areas that reflect what he has heard in his district: affordability, jobs and small businesses and farms, schools, healthcare and veterans’ services, and government accountability and the federal budget. South Carolina’s 7th District deserves a representative who has spent his career studying what it means to serve. Vincent has been doing that work his entire life.
Meet Bob Smith
Republican Candidate — U.S. House
California’s 24th Congressional District
Bob Smith spent more than 26 years in the Navy as a combat veteran and engineer. He was named the U.S. Navy Engineer of the Year in 2023 and received the Humanitarian Service Medal for his work with international disaster relief operations. He is now running in California’s Central Coast with the same engineering discipline he brought to advanced weapons systems and international disaster relief.
His community engagement in California’s Central Coast has crossed partisan lines in ways that are not commonly seen. He has volunteered with his local Republican Party on data analysis and canvassing. He has also worked on his wife’s Democratic city council campaign. He coaches youth sports and mentors young athletes.
His campaign focuses on affordability, education, energy and water, immigration, and national defense. All are framed around their direct impact on the safety and economic security of Central Coast families. Bob’s approach to every problem he has ever faced is a testament to his training as an engineer: evaluate the options and put the best solution forward.
Why Forward Endorses Democrats and Republicans
The Forward Party is building a different theory of representation, one that answers to constituents rather than to partisan interests and is willing to work with whoever is serious about getting things done for the American people.
Forward Party’s Fulcrum Strategy leans on the argument that across the ideological spectrum, there are people who are more interested in governing than in performing on the stage of partisan theatre. This supports that approach in building a bloc of elected officials willing to act independently of party leadership on consequential votes, ultimately helping to shift the incentive in Congress away from party loyalty and toward earning support on the merits of legislation.
A Democrat from South Carolina and a Republican from California who share that operating principle are more aligned with what Congress is supposed to do than two members from the same party who vote in lockstep with their parties on every issue. That is the Forward Party’s primary premise. John Gregory Vincent and Bob Smith are this week’s evidence for it.
Both are the kind of people Congress is supposed to have more of, and currently has far too few of.
November 3rd is 61 days away. The Forward Party has candidates on the ballot in South Carolina, California, Ohio, Montana, New York, Idaho, South Dakota, Colorado, Minnesota, Utah, and across the country. Every one of them is evidence of the same thing: good representation does not require a party. It requires the right person.
In case you missed it, we had Rep. Kevin Kiley on the podcast last week with host Lindsey Drath for a discussion on leading with integrity in Washington.
Their conversations explore why experienced political leaders are stepping away from party labels, what voters are asking for, and whether independent candidates can offer a different approach to governing.
Please join our director of volunteer engagement Carrie Anne for a 30 minute rundown of all things Forward Party! Meet other volunteers, hear what’s happening in the committees and other states, and stay abreast of party news. This call is for any level of volunteer in any state, and is a great starting point if this is your first time getting involved!
Join the Forward Text Force, a group of dedicated volunteers working remotely to support our candidates and GOTV efforts. Each Thursday from 6:30-7:00pm ET from Sept 10th through election day, we will log on together to onboard, troubleshoot, and send text messages in community. We provide the script, support, and socialization with other volunteers, all you need to bring is your computer or phone!
Once again this campaign season we bring you Meet the Forwardists, a virtual opportunity to get to know some of the federal and statewide candidates we have endorsed this year.
Next week will feature candidates running for various levels of office across the country on the Forward Party ballot line.
Bob Chew the Forward Party candidate running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by John Hickenlooper joins Colorado Point of View to discuss his campaign
As Sen. Emily Buss vies to hold on to the Forward Party’s highest-ranking elected position in the country, Democrat bows out to give her a better chance at keeping the seat out of the GOP supermajority’s hands
With 47% of voters nationally identifying as independent, Columbia businesswoman Lauren Pinkston wants to give voters who don’t identify with either major political party someone to vote for.
A Republican-controlled Texas county that has been trending Democratic is eliminating 92 Election Day polling places. Republicans say they’re eliminating underused locations and improving efficiency; Democrats say reducing convenient polling places suppresses turnout. The facts establish the reduction. They do not, by themselves, establish the motive.
Tarrant County, Texas, is cutting 92 Election Day polling locations for the 2026 midterms. The county had 316 locations in 2022; the new plan leaves 224 locations for roughly 1.3 million registered voters.
The Republican-controlled county commissioners approved the reduction 3–2 along party lines. Republicans say they’re eliminating poorly used locations, saving money and concentrating resources where they’re needed. They also point out that the county has adopted countywide voting, meaning voters can use any polling location rather than being restricted to one assigned site.
Democrats and voting-rights groups argue that fewer polling places means less convenient access to voting, particularly in Black, Hispanic and college communities. They call it voter suppression. Tarrant County is also politically important: it has been gradually moving toward Democrats and is a major battleground in the 2026 Senate race.
Can reducing polling locations affect turnout?
Absolutely. The argument isn’t really that “you can’t vote.” It’s that making voting less convenient can cause some people not to vote at all.
And that’s where the political controversy comes from.
The interesting wrinkle is that Tarrant County really has been moving toward the Democrats, so the timing naturally raises suspicion. But correlation isn’t proof that the polling-place cuts were designed to hurt Democrats. The Republicans have a plausible administrative explanation: fewer, better-used locations and fewer poll workers needed.
So here we are less than two months from mid-terms, the Administration is against the wall, And we know which wall that is and now lets start playing with the where we can cast a vote, was Gerrymandering bad enough?
What’s next. A proctor checking your ballot before submission, oh, crap. Don’t want to give them any ideas.
Surprising, two red states, Republican governors and candidates with different values. Take Wyoming and Maine. Opposite sides of the country, Wyoming, the strongest Trump supporter in the 2024 Election in the nation, They voted Trump 72.3% and Harris 26.1%
Maine, Harris won, 52.4 % to Trump’s 45.5% yet when we look at what is coming up for the midterms. Something strange happened.
Earlier, Trump administration officials have stated that they intend to send up to 1,000 election monitors to the polls this fall. In Fact 2 election monitors were sent as part of a “monitoring initiative aimed at promoting transparency,” to Wyoming for the States August 18 primary elections.
And…. their behavior managed to upset even Republican Gov. Mark Gordon of Wyoming.
Gordon said “I feel very strongly about the federal government coming in and taking our guns. I don’t like that. I don’t like the federal government coming in and taking our votes, either,” Gordon said they were not made aware the monitors would be present and did not present credentials until requested to do so.
They then proceeded to ask questions “outside the scope of federal voting rights laws …about the nature, length, and timing of poll worker training. Monitors requested training guides, asked how our new election equipment was acquired, and wanted to examine our tabulators.”
Governor Gordon has asked the State AG to look into the matter.
Maine on the other hand., or at least Maine Republican gubernatorial nominee Bobby Charles told members of a Young Republican Club earlier that he intends to call his “friend” Tom Homan, Trump’s deportation czar, to ask for ICE presence at the polls.
It’s that time of year! The election is two months away, and we are in full campaign mode. Our volunteer dashboard has been updated to offer you direct links to our candidates’ volunteer signups, and text banking, which is live! If you want to know more about who we are supporting this cycle, I’ve got you covered. We have three “Meet the Forwardists” events planned, and all the Committees will be hosting candidate panels as well.
We’ll also have weekly Forward Text Force meetings. This will be your chance to get onboarded, ask questions about the candidates, and troubleshoot any technical issues with me. We plan to send out close to half a million texts this year, so we definitely need your help!
Our Volunteer of the Month for September is Chris Scott in Utah! He has stepped up to help the team there with parade organization and lobbying at the State Capitol, all very important work. When asked why he spends his time doing this, Chris said, “A majority of Americans want a viable third political party. To me, viable means less national drama, and more local results for people. I truly believe Forward can influence that and stabilize our politics. I work hard so our fellow citizens discover that we exist and associate us with being viable.” Thank you, Chris, for helping make us a viable party!
Your first stop to updates on the National party and how to plug into the work. We have so many new things to share that you may want to attend this again even if you have before!
This first week will focus on candidates running on the Forward ballot line from various states and for different levels of office, and will be hosted by Chuck Todd!
Meet impressive female candidates from all different parties!
You can find more things to do on our events calendar.
In person events:
We are working on some in person volunteer deployments this season. If you are interested in traveling to support Forward please respond to this email and let me know!
We have so much happening that you’ll be hearing again from me in 2 weeks. You can also join our volunteer slack for faster updates on events and the ability to connect with other volunteers.
I really appreciate everyone that opens this newsletter and tries to attend our events. I do all this for you!
By now, it is clear that the 2026 midterms are unlike any we have seen in recent memory. The scale of spending, the intensity of coordination, and the precision of messaging all suggest a high-stakes contest—but the full story goes deeper than individual candidates or party control.
The real question is not just who wins, but how power is being built and exercised beyond what voters can easily see.
As the 2026 midterms approach, voters must ask themselves: are we witnessing a straightforward contest over seats, or is there a larger game being played—one where both sides seek enduring structural influence, often invisible to the public eye?
Understanding this hidden layer is essential for anyone seeking to grasp the stakes of modern American politics. The long game is underway, and the rules are not fully visible.
This week we are focusing on the work being done in Minnesota. Eight legislative candidates stood together at the Minnesota State Capitol last Thursday and made a public commitment to govern across party lines after Election Day.
Minnesota Forward Together, a coalition of DFL, Republican, Independent and Forward Independence legislative candidates, committed to working across party lines to solve problems for their constituents instead of trying to score political points
They did not promise to agree on everything. They are promising to put their constituents ahead of their party and find common ground wherever they can.
The Forward Party has been talking about the Fulcrum Strategy at the federal level all year. The argument is you don’t need a majority of independent senators or representatives to change how Congress works. You need enough members who are independent from the control of either party to hold the balance of power on votes that matter.
Minnesota Forward Together is that argument: built at the state level with eight candidates standing together who are running for office right now.
A note for readers outside Minnesota: The DFL (The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party) is Minnesota’s Democratic Party. It was formed in 1944 through a merger of the Minnesota Democratic Party and the Farmer-Labor Party, which had been a powerful independent political force in the state since the 1920s.
The DFL name reflects Minnesota’s long tradition of coalition politics, the same tradition that Minnesota Forward Together is drawing on.
It also reflects the work and growth of the MN Forward Party that formed through a merger last year. The Independence-Alliance Party of Minnesota and the Minnesota Forward Party merged to form the Forward Independence Party of Minnesota. The merged organization is bringing candidates together that share our values and ultimately driving more choices in front of the voters.
So when you see DFL candidates committing to govern alongside Republicans and independents, it is worth knowing that the party itself was founded on the principle that different political movements could come together around shared values.
Politicians from different parties sharing a stage and making this pledge reflects the current stage of our democracy. It reflects that this kind of promise has grown uncommon among our representatives. Putting the needs of constituents first should be expected of our state and federal leaders. What makes Minnesota Forward Together significant is the timing.
These candidates are making a public pledge before they are elected. They are choosing accountability now and presenting their intentions to voters before they are safely in office.
They are publicly announcing to the people of Minnesota that they are better served by legislators who talk to each other than by legislators who perform for their base.
The Bigger Picture
Minnesota Is the State-Level Version of What We’re Building Nationally.
The Fulcrum Strategy in the U.S. Senate says a small bloc of genuinely independent senators, two to three members who answer only to their states and not to either party, can hold the balance of power in a closely divided chamber. Neither party can pass anything without them. That changes the incentive structure for everyone. Legislation has to earn their vote on the merits, not on party loyalty.
Minnesota Forward Together is enacting a model of that strategy with a cross-partisan coalition of state legislators who have committed publicly to governing together. Pledging to agree where they can, and disagree where they must, is a vehicle for changing how a state legislature operates. In an evenly divided state house like Minnesota currently has, this coalition would be incredibly powerful in advocating for principled reforms.
The principle is identical. You don’t need a majority. You need a committed coalition that refuses to be owned by either side. Minnesota Forward Together is what that looks like when eight people decide to do it before they even win. Imagine what it looks like when they do.
What does it take to govern effectively when you leave the traditional party system behind? On this episode of The Forward Party Podcast, host Lindsey Drath sits down with independent Congressman Kevin Kiley for a discussion on leading with integrity in Washington.
Their conversations explore why experienced political leaders are stepping away from party labels, what voters are asking for, and whether independent candidates can offer a different approach to governing.
Ready to help Forward Party grow? This training will give you the tools and confidence to talk about our mission with others in a way that actually connects. We’ll go over a party status update so you feel knowledgeable, values to talk about, and a formula for creating your own Forward story. Whether you are already active as a volunteer or brand new to the movement, there is something for everyone in this training. Build the future, and bring a friend!
Come meet the UNLV Forward Party at the Fall Involvement Fair! Whether you are interested in politics, civic engagement, leadership, or simply want to meet students passionate about creating a healthier democracy, we would love to connect with you
Join members of the Young Forwardists as they introduce you to the Forward Party and how you can get involved in our pivotal movement to make politics better. Whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, or anything in between, there’s a place in the Forward Party for you.
Learn about how you can get involved with the Young Forwardists by joining our Young Forwardists Introduction Meetings! These introductions occur every month (1st and 3rd Wednesday, 2nd and 4th Saturday).
Host Ali Vitali has a conversation with Forward Party CEO Lindsey Drath and MS Now Political Analyst Basil Smikle about 2028, midterms, mail-in ballots and more.
Chad features a conversation with Forward Party Executive Chair Kerry Healey on the viability of third-party options and the announcement of Minnesota Forward Together
Chris Gambino, an independent candidate who is running in the 143rd state House District in Bucks County, will be allowed to stay on the ballot after a challenge to his nomination papers.
SALEM, OR — Today, a federal judge again temporarily blocked the United States Postal Service (USPS) from moving forward with its new rule that would illegally restrict access to vote-by-mail, a rule that was mandated by President Trump’s Executive Order 14399. The USPS will be blocked from implementing many of the rule’s provisions related to the November election for at least 14 days.
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read is releasing the following statement:
“The Constitution is clear: states run elections. The USPS doesn’t get to pick and choose who gets ballots. Presidents don’t get to rig elections via executive decree. The USPS rule and the executive order it came from are unconstitutional.
“This order provides more certainty for voters and elections officials in the middle of a major election. While this is a win, we will continue to aggressively pursue every available tool we have to protect every Oregon citizen’s right to vote. I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Oregon elections are secure, accurate and fair, and we’re going to keep it that way.”
Date: August 27, 2026 Contact: Tess Seger | tess.seger@sos.oregon.gov
New Voter Registration PSA Launched by Oregon Secretary of State
SALEM, OR — Today, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read launched new public service announcements to inform all eligible Oregonians about how to register to vote. The announcements were produced and placed in partnership with the Oregon Association of Broadcasters and radio stations across Oregon.
“Our state is a stronger, better place when the people hold the powerful accountable through free and fair elections. That’s why I want every eligible Oregonian to vote, and registering is the first crucial step,” said Secretary Read.
“No citizen should be left out of our elections because they don’t know how the process works, which is why these announcements are so critical. I want to thank the Oregon Association of Broadcasters and radio stations across the state for working with us to get this important message out.”
A recording of the public service announcements can be found here, and a transcript is below:
Voter Registration Public Service Announcement Transcript
Attention Oregonians: The deadline to register to vote in the next election is October 13th.
If you are…
A U.S. Citizen
A resident of Oregon
And at least 16 years old
…you can register to vote. You must be 18 years old to get a ballot.
You can quickly register, check, or update your voter information through the secure portal at oregonvotes.gov.
You have the power to decide Oregon’s future. Vote.
Sponsored by Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, the Oregon Association of Broadcasters and this station.
The early surge of funding into the 2026 midterms is hard to ignore, yet the public is still largely in the dark about how that money actually shapes the election. Even when contributions are disclosed, transparency is often more illusory than real.
Voters see the headlines—mega-donors, super PACs, and campaign cash—but few grasp the mechanics behind it, or the strategic intent that guides these flows. In essence, visibility does not equal understanding.
Disclosed vs. Hidden Influence
Campaign finance laws require certain reporting: super PACs must list their donors, and major contributions are public record. This disclosure gives the impression of accountability.
================================
And even among visible spending, both parties appear to be building something larger than a simple tally of wins and losses. Influence flows, narratives solidify, and infrastructure takes shape—often with consequences that extend well beyond Election Day.
The stage is set for a deeper exploration: how much of the opposition’s strategy is truly reactive, and how much is about quietly shaping enduring structures of influence?
Date: August 26, 2026 Contact: Connor Radnovich | connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov
Secretary Read: Lawsuit to Block USPS Rule on Mail-In Ballots Will Protect Ongoing Election
SALEM, OR — Today, Oregon joined with 23 other states and Washington, D.C., to block the final rule published by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) that would restrict vote-by-mail by giving the USPS the power to decide who gets a ballot. This rule was written in response to an executive order signed by the President.
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read is releasing the following statement:
“The November election is already underway. Now is not the time to change the rules. The USPS rule, like the executive order it arises from, is a clear attempt to make it harder for Americans to vote and undermine free, fair elections. It won’t work.
“The directive I issued yesterday instructs elections officials to proceed with running the next election as normal and according to Oregon law. If successful, this lawsuit will further protect our elections from illegal interference. Thank you to the Attorney General for his quick action to advance this critical work.
“We will continue pursuing all available options to protect Oregon’s safe, accurate, and fair elections.”
Recording of Secretary Read’s press conference about the directive available now
PRESS RELEASE
Date: August 25, 2026 Contact: Connor Radnovich | connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov
New Directive Issued by Secretary Read Confirms Oregon Vote-by-Mail Elections Will Proceed as Planned
Recording of Secretary Read’s press conference about the directive available here
SALEM, OR — Today, in response to the uncertainty caused by the Supreme Court’s ruling that lifted the injunction on Executive Order 14399 (Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections), Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read issued a new directive to Oregon’s local elections officials instructing them to proceed with administering the election according to current Oregon law and reiterating election procedures and timelines.
“The purpose of this directive is to provide certainty to elections officials and voters alike. All eligible Oregonians will receive their ballots by mail for the upcoming election and should plan to return them using the mail or a secure, official drop box,” said Secretary Read in a letter accompanying the directive.
“If a later judicial decision requires immediate changes to Oregon election administration, I will provide further direction. However, we are on the eve of the first ballots for the November election being sent out to voters. Now is not the time to make major changes to how elections are run in Oregon. I will pursue all available means to protect Oregon’s gold-standard system of elections, which routinely makes us a national leader in voter participation. Our elections are secure, accurate, and fair, and we will keep them that way.”
Secretary Read held a press conference to announce the directive and answer questions. A recording of the event can be found here.
Midterm elections are supposed to be smaller, quieter affairs compared to presidential contests. Yet, heading into 2026, the sums being poured into these races are unprecedented, rivaling what we normally see only in general elections. The early flood of resources, even when fully disclosed, is a stark reminder that what the public sees is rarely the full story.
While headlines often focus on candidates, slogans, and social media battles, the real game is being played behind the scenes, where money flows strategically, shaping outcomes before most voters even pay attention.
The Numbers Are Jaw-Dropping
===============================================
Setting the Stage for Deeper Questions
If the stakes of the 2026 midterms are already higher than expected, and the flow of money is more aggressive than usual, we must ask: what is the larger purpose? Is this simply about winning seats, or is there a longer-term plan to entrench influence, shape norms, and steer policy pathways?
Understanding the scale and timing of these investments is the first step toward asking the bigger question: what are voters not being shown, and what structures are quietly being built behind the curtain?
This week’s Fast Forward is building on the foundation we emphasized last week with the pursuits for ballot access, the expansion to 41 states, and the lasting infrastructure that will go beyond one election cycle. This week, we want to show you who that foundation is for.
In recent days, Forward Party endorsed three candidates in Ohio, New York, and Montana, whose regions could not be more different, and whose candidacies say the same thing: there are good people everywhere who are done waiting for the two parties to fix things, and they are doing something about it.
We would like to spotlight those candidates and the work they stand on.
Tracey Tackett
Independent Candidate – Ohio’s 4th Congressional District
Tracey Tackett has been doing the essential work of local government in Springfield, Ohio for years. As Assistant Mayor, she represents the city on boards and commissions covering economic development, transportation, neighborhood engagement, historic preservation, and community relations. This is the kind of work that determines whether a city functions, businesses open, or even if neighborhoods stay together.
She has also served in leadership roles with the Epilepsy Foundation of Ohio, the Glen Helen Association, Habitat for Humanity, the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce, and the American Cancer Society.
Her campaign is built on the conviction that OH-04 deserves a representative who brings people together rather than using the district as a vehicle for partisan warfare. She is running as an independent not because she couldn’t choose a party but because she has decided that the party framework itself is the problem.
Alissa Ellman
Independent Candidate – New York’s 24th Congressional District
Alissa Ellman joined the military before she was old enough to vote. She served at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, came home, and then spent years teaching underprivileged students before helping fellow veterans navigate the Department of Veterans Affairs to obtain the benefits they earned. She was doing that VA work when the Department of Government Efficiency eliminated her position.
That loss activated her. She began hosting town halls and listening sessions across New York’s 24th District and then launched a campaign for Congress that won the Democratic primary in June. She is now in the general election, and Forward Party is standing with her.
Her platform covers affordability, healthcare access, childcare, infrastructure, responsive constituent services, and election reforms including ranked-choice voting. But what defines her campaign more than any specific issue is the operating principle underneath all of them: listen first, govern pragmatically, represent everyone in the district, not just the people who share your political affiliation. That is a Forward Party principle as much as it is a campaign message. It is why we are endorsing her even as a Democratic nominee, because Forward has always said that good representation matters more than party label.
Dr. Michael Eisenhauer
Independent Candidate – Montana’s 2nd Congressional District
Dr. Michael Eisenhauer spent nearly 25 years in the United States Army as a physician and medical corps officer, serving in leadership positions around the world before deploying to Iraq as Deputy Forces Surgeon and Chief of Clinical Operations for Multi-National Forces–Iraq. He earned the Bronze Star for that service. When he retired from active duty, he came home to Montana and kept working, traveling to rural communities across the state to provide specialized cardiac care to patients who otherwise had no access to it.
He is running for Montana’s 2nd Congressional District as an independent because he believes the two-party system has stopped delivering for Montanans. Congress has dismal approval ratings, young Montanans are losing faith in the American Dream, and the people sent to Washington to fix these things keep prioritizing their party over their constituents. His platform focuses on affordability, healthcare, veterans’ issues, and reducing the partisan gridlock that has made Congress functionally useless on the issues Montana actually cares about. As an independent, he answers only to the people of Montana. That is the job as he sees it.
What These Endorsements Say
It is easy to make an argument for a better political system. Forward Party makes that argument every day. What is harder, and what matters more, is backing that argument with real candidates in real races, in places where real voters are being asked to make a choice this November.
Ohio, New York, and Montana are all very different but connected in wanting to revive faith in our democracy.
These are Forward Party’s megaphones. They speak in their own voices, from their own experience, to their own communities. That is the point. A movement that only produces candidates who sound like the party is not a movement. Forward Party is something different: a home for the kind of people who want to serve their communities and understand the needs of those communities better than any party leaders could.
As we get closer to November 3, Forward Party will continue endorsing candidates who meet our standard, wherever they are, whatever their background, ensuring more and better choices are on the ballot.
Please forward this to your friends, family, and coworkers. It helps us introduce them to Forward and to what we are building. Also consider inviting them to one of our upcoming events listed below. We’d love to meet them.
If you haven’t caught last week’s episode, Lindsey Williams Drath, Governor Christine Todd Whitman, and Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey dive in to two states where a new Governor is just around the corner.
Rick Bennett (ME) and Ken Block (RI) are both running as independents for governor in their states. They each have a unique state and a unique driver for running but they have one thing in common – an American independent spirit.
For our August meeting we’ll be learning about “Ranked Choice Voting”. What is it exactly? And can we/should we have it here in Illinois? As always, bring your friends, your neighbors, your questions and suggestions.
Join the FWD Women’s Committee, along with special guests, co-chairs Lt Gov Kerry Healey and Gov Christine Todd Whitman, as they share their inspiring journeys from volunteer to elected official to leaders in this movement.
We will then discuss creative ways you can help support Forward candidates this campaign season, including using our new text banking platform prompt io. We will even have a couple of campaigns live if you would like to get started texting for incumbent Forwardists!
Join the Black Voters Committee for our monthly call. We’ll connect, share committee updates, discuss current priorities, and plan upcoming initiatives. New and returning members are welcome.
CNN poll says Independents are drivers of elections. The President is seeing a massive drop in Independent support- a group known to be drivers of the elections.
Date: August 20, 2026 Contact: Connor Radnovich | connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov
Secretary Read Launches Campus Challenge to Boost Student Voter Turnout
SALEM, OR — Today, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read launched the Oregon Campus Voting Challenge to boost student voter participation in the upcoming general election.
“Our elections decide our future, and no one has more at stake in that future than young Oregonians. However, too many young people don’t vote because they don’t feel connected to the process. That’s why we launched the Oregon Campus Voting Challenge. It’s a proven approach to building civic engagement among young adults,” said Secretary Read. “We are going to keep finding ways to get Oregonians involved in our elections because our state is stronger when more people make their voices heard.”
The challenge is debuting with 20 colleges and universities from across the state. To join, the institution must commit to taking a series of actions to improve nonpartisan civic engagement on campus, including:
Helping students build the habits of an engaged citizen.
Making nonpartisan democratic participation a core value on campus.
Convening a nonpartisan campus-wide working group that includes students and administrators.
Engaging with data to improve campus resources and programming to support nonpartisan student civic engagement.
Developing and implementing a nonpartisan action plan to improve civic learning, political engagement, and voter participation.
“At Chemeketa, we believe education is about more than preparing students for successful careers. It’s also about helping them find their voice, recognize that their opinion matters, and see themselves as active participants in the communities they call home,” said Chemeketa Community College President Jessica Howard. “Voting is one of the most direct ways students can put that sense of belonging into action. Through the Oregon Campus Voting Challenge, we can help students build the knowledge, confidence, and habits they need to participate in our democracy, not just while they are in college, but throughout their lives.”
Oregon’s campus voting challenge is in collaboration with Civic Nation’s ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, a nationwide initiative that empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student democratic engagement.
Based on past elections, campuses that are highly engaged in ALL IN programming have voter turnout rates that are 4-6 percentage points higher than their peers.
Oregon institutions and individuals who participate in the challenge are eligible for a variety of national recognitions from ALL IN. These are awarded for achievement in areas such as: creation of a strong action plan, extraordinary engagement with students, and exemplary individual nonpartisan actions boosting campus voter turnout.
“As college students return to campus ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, they will navigate new syllabi, schedules, and opportunities to make their voices heard. ALL IN commends Oregon’s commitment to nonpartisan civic engagement on college campuses, and we are proud to partner with Secretary of State Read to launch the Oregon Campus Voting Challenge to empower and support thousands of students to vote not only in November, but throughout their entire lives,” said Jen Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
The Oregon colleges and universities participating at launch are:
As with a lot of what I write this started off in my head at 3:34am trying not to stub my toe on the bed frame. I was thinking of the reasons why someone shouldn’t vote, you know the devils advocate, that sneaky little demon that muddies the waters.
So when I sat down to tell all of you to just stay home I stumbled across an old youtube video of some jerk doing just that, and he pissed me off, how dare you tell people that it isn’t their civic and moral obligation, wait, isn’t that what I…
Except it wasn’t, not really. His argument was that your one voice doesn’t matter, so why bother. Mine was never that. Mine was don’t bother if you’re just punching holes without caring which holes. Two different kinds of not-voting, and only one of them is actually about not voting at all.
So I said to, no, not myself, but to my dog, and he in his wisdom just looked at my with his big eyes and said nothing.
Ha, you thought I was going to say woof. Gotcha.
So here is where our real duty is, we have a responsibility to participate in the process of our government, it’s an obligation, but we must be informed of the issues to do so effectively. We must broaden our horizons and actually be interested in something more than what a bobbing head on FOX or CNN tells us to think. It’s not hard, all it takes is to widen our field of view a bit.
I grew up in a Republican, not spelled RINO, household and if my Father was Republican then I must be a Republican. And for years that is how I voted. And for years I voted wrong. Not because it was Republican, but because I voted for the tribe without understanding the tribe or the other tribes. And to be fair. This paragraph could just as easily be the same with Democrat switched for Republican, wouldn’t matter.
So we have two type of voting, responsible and irresponsible.
Responsible voting: You look at the races you actually understand, form your own imperfect judgment, and mark those boxes.
Irresponsible “voting”: You check every box under one party because that’s the team, or because the hat looks good, or because “that’s what we do in this family.”
If it is mine to give, I give you permission to leave the boxes unchecked. If you don’t know who those judges are, why are you checking a box, if you don’t know how that measure will impact the community, why are you checking the box.
I also give you permission to maybe learn about that measure, a little more than what the voter pamphlet says, The pros and cons, both are slanted. Your neighbors, friends, may have an opinion.
Goodness gracious, think of what this world would be like if we actually knew what those boxes represented before we checked them.
So, it is your responsibility. Yes it matters, yes that one vote is only one, but the number 1,000 consists of one thousand ones.
And what matters most is that you understand what that box you just checked represents. That is the challenge, that is your duty
Notice of Temporary Administrative Order
OAR 165-010-9901
Filing Deadline for Certain Nonpartisan Vacancies Occurring Before the 2026 General Election
The Election Division hereby provides notice of rulemaking activity for OAR 165-010-9901. More information may be found below and on our website.
This temporary rule went into effect August 17, 2026.
RULE TEXT: The rule text may be found at this link.
RULE SUMMARY:
ORS 249.205 authorizes the Secretary of State to establish filing deadlines for candidates seeking election to fill certain nonpartisan vacancies. This temporary rule establishes filing deadlines for vacancies that occur after the 80th day but on or before the 62nd day before the November 3, 2026, General Election.
NEED FOR TEMPORARY RULE:
ORS 249.205 authorizes the Secretary of State to establish filing deadlines for candidates seeking election to fill certain nonpartisan vacancies. OAR 165-010-0110 establishes filing schedules for several vacancy scenarios but does not establish a filing deadline when a vacancy occurs after the 80th day but on or before the 62nd day before the general election. This temporary rule establishes filing deadlines for vacancies occurring during that period to ensure candidates have a filing process, and the Elections Division has authority to accept declarations of candidacy.
JUSTIFICATION FOR TEMPORARY RULE:
A nonpartisan vacancy may occur after the 80th day but on or before the 62nd day before the November 3, 2026, General Election. Because the permanent rule does not establish filing deadlines for vacancies occurring during this period, a temporary rule is necessary to provide timely filing deadlines and allow the Elections Division to accept declarations of candidacy. Temporary rulemaking is required because waiting to complete the permanent rulemaking process would impair the orderly administration of the 2026 General Election.
DOCUMENTS RELIED UPON & WHERE THEY ARE AVAILABLE:
ORS 246.150, ORS 249.205, OAR 165-010-0110, 2026 State Candidate Manual and 2026 election calendar. Elections Division administrative records relating to candidate filing deadlines for nonpartisan vacancies. Documents available online or from the Elections Division.
The Forward Party has been building the infrastructure that serious political change requires. This week, Forward’s drivers are proving every step is one we take together for the growth of the movement.
More than anything, this is an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy, not through any single campaign or election but by helping build one of the most consequential pieces of civic infrastructure for American politics in a generation.
This Week in Texas
Mike Collier fought for the movement’s future
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman denied Mike Collier’s request for a temporary injunction that would have placed him on the Texas ballot as an independent candidate for Lieutenant Governor. Judge Pitman expressed sympathy for Collier’s situation, noting that the burden the law creates is not felt similarly by candidates from the Republican and Democratic parties, but he concluded that it was not clear Collier would have succeeded in getting on the ballot even if Texas had a more moderate requirement.
Collier will not be on the November ballot in Texas. That is a loss for the people of Texas who will once again have fewer choices in who to place in elected leadership. This is not the end of the story, however. Not by a long measure.
We highlighted the case in Texas previously and supported Mike in the lawsuit. As a reminder, Texas law requires that an independent candidate for statewide office must collect more than 81,030 valid voter signatures. That alone would be a serious challenge for any campaign, but Texas prohibited independent candidates from signature collection untilafter the primary runoff elections, which gave them only 30 days.
Collier took on Texas’s ballot access system, which, we should note, is so burdensome that no independent candidate for statewide office has ever qualified for the ballot in a Texas race with a primary runoff. Mike knew the odds were steep and that the timeline was nearly impossible.
The temporary injunction was denied but the constitutional case continues with an expected decision later this year. This ruling does not end the lawsuit. It does not settle the constitutional question. It establishes a legal record and creates precedent for future challenges. Mike Collier did not fight this battle just to get on the ballot in 2026. He fought it to build the case for changes to the ballot in 2028 and beyond.
What We Are Building with Mike Collier and Hundreds of Others Like Him
For our volunteers, donors, Fast Forward readers, and beyond, we want to say directly that our work is real. Our dedication to this country’s democracy is why we have put in the effort all these years. It is why we continue to stand behind the people who see the path to change, and we welcome more every day to join us in building something better.
When people talk about a political movement, they usually mean the candidates, the yard signs, the rallies. Those things matter. But the part of a political movement that determines whether it lasts is the part nobody talks about: the infrastructure that operates underneath it all.
Forward has grown state-level teams, now expanding into 41 states with chapters, leaders, volunteers, and the legal standing to participate in the political process as recognized entities.
We are reaching communities. The Forward Party’s presence in New Mexico, for example, has earned minor party status and is fielding candidates for Magistrate Judge, Public Education Commissioner, State Auditor, and U.S. Senate. New Mexico Forward Party even prevailed on a ballot access dispute before a single court hearing recently. The fact that the filing prompted a county clerk to reverse a disqualification decision illustrates something important about the long game Forward is playing. We are not going away. This is a local story but one that shows the movement is real. Parties that are serious about governing show up in county courthouses and school board races, not just Senate campaigns – and the Forward Party is doing both.
Real change has never happened fast. It has always happened because people did not stop their pursuit of change.
What does it take to govern effectively when you leave the traditional party system behind? On this episode of The Forward Party Podcast, hosts Lindsey Drath, former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, and former Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healy sit down with two independent candidates running for governor in 2026: Ken Block of Rhode Island and Rick Bennett of Maine.
Their conversations explore why experienced political leaders are stepping away from party labels, what voters are asking for, and whether independent candidates can offer a different approach to governing.
Join members of the Young Forwardists as they introduce you to the Forward Party and how you can get involved in our pivotal movement to make politics better. Whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, or anything in between, there’s a place in the Forward Party for you.
A quick training and show of resources for new members of the Welcome Team! Welcome Team participants will call new supporters in their state and welcome them to the Forward Party. A suggested script for conversations and email template for follow up will be provided.
Join the Forward Women’s Committee, along with special guest and Executive Co-chair Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, for inspiring ways you can take action this campaign season.
Frances Kava of Deming, New Mexico will run for a magistrate judge seat in Luna County on the Forward Party ticket, joining Santa Fe County magistrate judge candidate Harry Montoya and Public Education Commission candidate Dennis Dinge as the party’s currently qualified candidates on the ballot.
Bob Chew, the Forward Party nominee for U.S. Senate in Colorado, sends household objects flying in a TV ad set to run statewide through September, backed by $1.3 million in ad reservations across multiple platforms, his campaign told Colorado Politics.
Independent gubernatorial candidate Rick Bennett is renewing his long-running push for campaign finance reform, calling on his opponents in Maine’s race for governor to support stronger transparency laws and disclose more information about the people and organizations supporting their campaigns.
Last week we told you that Idaho’s math changed in favor of Senate candidate Todd Achilles. This week, it happened again with South Dakota’s Democratic Senate Nominee Julian Beaudion dropping out of the race, leaving a clear one-on-one race between independent Senate candidate Brian Bengs and Republican candidate Mike Rounds.
The move from Beaudion verifies the direction more voters are heading, which is preferring independent leadership over partisan picks. It leaves Bengs as the main competitor against Rounds, mirroring last week’s development in Idaho.
These are the first dominoes to fall in states where Democratic nominees are unlikely to win and have historically served only to split the non-Republican vote and hand incumbents an easy victory. Legacy party nominees are beginning to recognize the overwhelming support for a new kind of leadership in these states and are stepping aside, ultimately clearing a path for independent candidates who can compete.
At the center of this South Dakota shift is Brian Bengs, Independent Senate Candidate. He is a dual-service military veteran, attorney, former criminal justice professor at Northern State University, and National Park Ranger. He served in the United States Navy and then as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force, where he spent years as a JAG officer. He has been an independent for, in his own words, “97% of my adult life.”
We previously noted that Bengs submitted the highest-validity petition of any statewide South Dakota candidate in 2026, which was 93.85% validity, beating both major party candidates in the quality of signatures gathered.
This decision by a major party nominee to drop out is becoming an emerging pattern in one-party-rule states, with similar developments possible in additional districts and states. With under 100 days to go until midterms, this election cycle is seeing independent thinking taking root.
Our strategy at Forward has always been about math. You don’t need 51 independent senators to change the United States Senate. You need enough to hold the balance of power: three or four members who answer only to their constituents, who can’t be controlled by either party, and who will vote on the merits of what’s in front of them. That math is now closer to real than it has ever been.
The Forward Party endorses Brian Bengs in South Dakota and Todd Achilles in Idaho. We believe these candidates, and all Forward-endorsed candidates, represent the clearest path to showing that independents can win in the most difficult electoral environments in the country and that when they do, American politics changes.
Primary Highlight
Niina Baum
Republican Candidate for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District
This Tuesday (August 11) is primary day in Wisconsin, where Niina Baum is competing for the Republican nomination in the 7th Congressional District. Regardless of party label, her campaign represents the kind of candidate Forward is committed to supporting: someone who cares deeply about the voters they are pledging to represent and who is willing to fight for them while putting effective representation ahead of partisan politics.
Niina grew up on a dairy farm in northern Wisconsin and is now running to represent the same rural communities that shaped her. She co-founded Northwoods Young Professionals to help keep young talent in rural Wisconsin, organized community events that generated more than $500,000 in economic impact, helped establish the Hodag Snack Attack program to provide food for local elementary school students, and currently serves on the Rhinelander Rotary Club Board and as Planning Commissioner for the Town of Crescent.
Baum’s campaign reflects many of the qualities the Forward Party looks for in endorsed candidates: a record of community service, independence, and a focus on representing constituents over partisan interests.
If you missed it last week, we had Todd Achilles (Idaho) on a brand new podcast episode with Bob Chew (Colorado)! They talk with our hosts about what drew them to the Forward Party, why they are running, and what a few good Forwardists in the Senate means for the country.
Please join our director of volunteer engagement Carrie Anne for a 30 minute rundown of all things Forward Party! Meet other volunteers, hear what’s happening in the committees and other states, and stay abreast of party news
— August 11, 2026 at 7:30pm Eastern Time Recruitment Day
Getting Started: Forward to the Polls is our national virtual recruitment event celebrating civic service and showing how ordinary volunteers can play an extraordinary role in keeping democracy strong. On National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, we’ll hear from Forwardists who have served as poll workers and learn why this work matters so much to voters, communities, and the integrity of local elections.
Join the Black Voters Committee for our monthly call. We’ll connect, share committee updates, discuss current priorities, and plan upcoming initiatives. New and returning members are welcome.
The decision by Julian Beaudion, the Democratic nominee, to leave the race was the third recent withdrawal by a Democratic Senate candidate in a red state
Oregon Minor Party Status Reviewed, Two Parties Fail to Meet Qualifications
On Wednesday, August 5, in accordance with ORS 248.008, the Secretary of State Elections Division performed the final status review of Oregon’s recognized minor political parties ahead of the November general election.
A recognized minor political party may maintain its status in one of two ways:
At any time during the period between the primary election and the 90th day before the general election, have registered party members equal to at least .25% of all active registered voters in Oregon; or
At any time during the period between the primary election and the 90th day before the general election, have registered party members equal to at least .1% of all votes cast for Governor and, at least once in a 4-year period, secure at least 1% of all votes cast for its presidential or statewide party candidate.
Following the review, it was determined that two minor political parties did not meet the requirements to maintain their recognized status.
The Constitution Party of Oregon and the We The People political party are no longer recognized minor political parties under Oregon law.
Voters registered with either political party will still have the opportunity to participate in the upcoming November election regardless of their party affiliation. Over the coming weeks, county election officials will send every voter impacted by this change a voter notification card showing that their party affiliation is now “other.” Voters may change their party affiliation online at OregonVotes.gov or by submitting a paper voter registration card.
Following this review, six minor political parties maintained their status:
As the summer begins to wind down and sample ballots start to go out, I have the scoop you’ve all been waiting for: Forward endorsed candidates! Filing deadlines are past and some amazing independents have emerged in some interesting races. There are still people in the pipeline, and we’re working to keep the website updated, so check back regularly. Also our state teams are doing their own endorsements this year, so make sure you check with your state to see who they’re supporting.
Of course I wouldn’t present you with candidates unless I also had a way for you to help them! We just launched our Campaign Opportunities section on your volunteer dashboard. Let us know what skills you have, and connect directly with a campaign to volunteer. Click the button below to check it out!
This fall we are partnering with our friends at the Builders Movement, a civic nonprofit with a community of 5M+ Americans, to encourage people to fire up their grill and strike up a conversation with someone different from you in an effort to bridge the divide in this country.
What it is
Builders Movement is asking Americans to host community gatherings across differences this summer, timed to America’s 250th anniversary. The ask is simple: invite someone you do not always agree with, sit down together, and start there.
The goal
250 gatherings across all 50 states.
How to participate
Register at BuildersBBQ.org. The first 250 host receives a free Builders Starter Kit with recipes, conversation starters, Builders Jenga, and goodies from our brand partners.
If you cannot host
Share the campaign with your community using #BiteToUnite. Even one post or mention can inspire someone in your network to host.
Why it matters
Because connection across difference does not happen on its own. Someone has to fire up the grill first!
Volunteer Spotlight:
Our volunteer of the month for August is Chris Stevens in NC! She has been an effective, organized leader in the efforts to gather signatures for ballot access, and has remained dedicated, even after having surgery! This is what she has to say about volunteering with Forward, “…because experience has taught me that positive change rarely happens without effort. Our election system is broken and so, therefore, is our country. The only way to fix the situation as far as I can tell is for regular people to step up and take action.” She’s right about that. We appreciate everything you do, Chris!
Special guests Lt Gov Healey and Gov Whitman inspire us to support candidates this fall!
You can find more things to do on our events calendar.
There was a lot to share with you this newsletter, thank you if you read this far. Next month I will resume bi-weekly communication to keep you informed on all our grassroots candidate support activities. Until then I hope to see you at an upcoming event, enjoy the rest of your summer!
Is anyone paying attention to anything at all? Really, is anyone thinking about anything other than the Grand Putz and his minions and their daily diversions?
Let’s look at real life. I’m past retirement age, and my Social Security won’t cover my house payment. Nobody cares, because I’m one of the “chosen few” who actually owns a home. I still pay taxes, because I still work, because Medicare fixed my body, not because my country failed me. They didn’t fail me. I failed me. But without Social Security and Medicare, I wouldn’t be up shit creek. I would be dead. Medicare paid for the Tavor valve that’s keeping my heart working right now. That’s not a metaphor. That’s not hyperbole. That’s a valve, in my chest, paid for by a program he jokes about gutting.
On August 14, 1935, this government passed the Social Security Act, because older people had no money left once they could no longer work. In November 1936, the first Social Security cards were issued. In January 1937, payroll taxes were collected for the first time, and the first one-time lump-sum payments went out. In January 1940, Ida May Fuller received the first-ever monthly retirement check.
Your President Donald J. Trump wants to deport all the communists who did this terrible thing to us.
In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Social Security Act Amendments into law, though actual health coverage and benefits officially began on July 1, 1966. This is known as Medicare.
July 30, 1965: the legislation creating Medicare Part A and Part B was signed in Independence, Missouri. Former President Harry S. Truman and his wife, Bess, received the first two Medicare cards.
July 1, 1966: the program officially went into effect, providing medical coverage to more than 19 million Americans age 65 and older.
Your President Donald J. Trump wants to deport all the communists who did this terrible thing to us.
SNAP benefits trace back to two key periods: the original Food Stamp Program, launched May 16, 1939, and the modern, permanent program established by the Food Stamp Act of 1964, under President Lyndon B. Johnson. The name officially changed to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, in 2008.
Early Program (1939–1943): On May 16, 1939, the first food stamp plan started in Rochester, New York, to help low-income families buy surplus farm goods during the Great Depression. It ended in 1943, as employment and food demand shifted during World War II.
Modern Program (1961–Present): On May 29, 1961, President John F. Kennedy revived the initiative through pilot projects. On August 31, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the permanent Food Stamp Act into law. By July 1, 1974, the system had expanded nationwide across all states. In 2008, it was officially renamed SNAP under the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act.
Your President Donald J. Trump wants to deport all the communists who did this terrible thing to us.
Is this progress, or a step backward into the darkness? President Trump is also threatening, promising, and begging anyone and everyone to kill the Senate filibuster so he can FORCE through his SAVE America Act. Key word: FORCE. This is about elections, and apparently you need to force your way through one to protect it.
This president is trying to stay in power. That is his entire agenda. Not you. Not me. Just his bank accounts, his ego, and his power. He must not lose power, and he does not care who pays the price for that, or what it costs them.
Right now, you, the American people, are still in charge. I’m just not sure for how much longer that stays true.
What comes next isn’t up to the Democrats. It isn’t up to Trump. It isn’t up to me, either, bummer. It’s up to you.
Let me ask you a question. Do you want this to be a one party government?
Think hard before you answer. Because if we stay the course we’re on, that’s exactly where we’ll end up. And if we kick the current fools out and hand everything to the Democrats, that’s where we’ll end up too. Just with different furniture in the same room.
MAGA has put a stink on the Republican Party that no skunk could ever equal. It’s going to take decades to wash it off. So what do we do?
============================================
And you want to know something almost funny? Donny used to be a Democrat. Yes. A card carrying member of the party he now calls COMMIE. They dodged his bullet somehow. You got crapped on instead.
So where does that leave us?
Dark Money, the big PAC money, Citizens United, the Federalist Society machinery, has heavily invested in the two party system and isn’t going anywhere regardless of what happens to MAGA. They’ll pull something out of their hat or somewhere close to their back pockets. Far right groups, far left groups, same game different jerseys. Maybe they’ll call it MAGA 2.0. It will still smell the same.
The RINO label was meant to shame you into silence or compliance. It did neither permanently. You’re still here. The party you believed in is still worth believing in, fiscal responsibility, limited government, fair elections, reasonable conservatism that doesn’t require burning anything down.
If the Republican name is too stained to salvage, get a new one. And if you want a suggestion, keep the RINO. Just put an H in it. A Rhino is a thick skinned, large horned animal that doesn’t move for anything and has been around for fifty million years.
That’s a considerably fiercer mascot than whatever crawled out of Mar-a-Lago.
Oh, so what, so what! What difference does it make, like really, does it matter?
For months now, over a year, I have tuned in and followed Michael Popok, Ben Meiselas, Jack Cocchiarella, and Glenn Kirschner, just to name a few you may have watched or followed. Great to hear about the case files against the Trump administration and how Trump and his team keep losing.
It just warms the cockles of my heart to see Trump take a beating in court, one federal judge after another saying no to little Donny.
=======================================
“Hey, boss man, we’re trying, but they keep using the law against us.” The LAW
The other tactic, and this one is truly scary, because it’s starting to work on me, is fatigue. I’m tired. You’re tired. Everybody’s tired, burned out from all the BS. And “so what” is exactly where fatigue leads you. The moment you get there, they’ve already won. Not because they beat you in court. Because you stopped watching the scoreboard.
You Stopped Caring.
So while I’m still watching, I’ve got two requests for Donny.
Request one: take that damn tarp down from the Kennedy Center. It’s time to grow up.
Request two: where the hell are the Epstein/Trump files?
Is anyone paying attention to anything at all? Really, is anyone thinking about anything other than the Grand Putz and his minions and their daily diversions?
Let’s look at real life. I’m past retirement age, and my Social Security won’t cover my house payment. Nobody cares, because I’m one of the “chosen few” who actually owns a home. I still pay taxes, because I still work, because Medicare fixed my body, not because my country failed me. They didn’t fail me. I failed me. But without Social Security and Medicare, I wouldn’t be up shit creek. I would be dead. Medicare paid for the Tavor valve that’s keeping my heart working right now. That’s not a metaphor. That’s not hyperbole. That’s a valve, in my chest, paid for by a program he jokes about gutting.
On August 14, 1935, this government passed the Social Security Act, because older people had no money left once they could no longer work. In November 1936, the first Social Security cards were issued. In January 1937, payroll taxes were collected for the first time, and the first one-time lump-sum payments went out. In January 1940, Ida May Fuller received the first-ever monthly retirement check.
===================================
Your President Donald J. Trump wants to deport all the communists who did this terrible thing to us.
Is this progress, or a step backward into the darkness? President Trump is also threatening, promising, and begging anyone and everyone to kill the Senate filibuster so he can FORCE through his SAVE America Act. Key word: FORCE. This is about elections, and apparently you need to force your way through one to protect it.
This president is trying to stay in power. That is his entire agenda. Not you. Not me. Just his bank accounts, his ego, and his power. He must not lose power, and he does not care who pays the price for that, or what it costs them.
Right now, you, the American people, are still in charge. I’m just not sure for how much longer that stays true.
What comes next isn’t up to the Democrats. It isn’t up to Trump. It isn’t up to me, either, bummer. It’s up to you.
Let me ask you a question. Do you want this to be a one party government?
Think hard before you answer. Because if we stay the course we’re on, that’s exactly where we’ll end up. And if we kick the current fools out and hand everything to the Democrats, that’s where we’ll end up too. Just with different furniture in the same room.
MAGA has put a stink on the Republican Party that no skunk could ever equal. It’s going to take decades to wash it off. So what do we do?
Here’s something worth remembering. The RINOs, Republicans in Name Only, as Second String Donny so helpfully labeled them, were never really MAGA to begin with. They got saddled with the yoke through lies and promises and a very effective campaign of misinformation. They saw through the BS pretty quickly. The trouble is, as I said, what about the smell now? It clings whether you earned it or not.
“Republican In Name Only” was one of the most effective political hijackings in modern history. Trump took an entire established political party, rebranded everyone who disagreed with him as frauds and traitors, and walked off with the deed to the building. The real Republicans, the ones who believed in fiscal responsibility, limited government, and fair play, suddenly found themselves homeless in their own house.
And you want to know something almost funny? Donny used to be a Democrat. Yes. A card carrying member of the party he now calls COMMIE. They dodged his bullet somehow. You got crapped on instead.
So where does that leave us?
Dark Money, the big PAC money, Citizens United, the Federalist Society machinery, has heavily invested in the two party system and isn’t going anywhere regardless of what happens to MAGA. They’ll pull something out of their hat or somewhere close to their back pockets. Far right groups, far left groups, same game different jerseys. Maybe they’ll call it MAGA 2.0. It will still smell the same.
Which means the real Republicans, the ones who got bamboozled and are now standing in the wreckage wondering what happened to the party they grew up with, have a decision to make.
Here’s what I think needs to happen. Not all at once. Not easily. But it needs to start now.
First, state election laws need to change. Not the way Trump’s Save America Steal the Election Act wants to change them. The other direction. Did you know Texas only gives a third party candidate thirty days after the primary to gather signatures to get on the ballot? Thirty days. That’s not a level playing field. That’s a locked door with a sign that says use other entrance. And Texas is not the only state doing it. Not by a long shot.
Second, look up Ranked Choice Voting. Read about it. Don’t take my word for it. Don’t take anyone else’s word against it either. RBV lets voters rank candidates in order of preference so your vote isn’t wasted if your first choice doesn’t make the cut. It can help address the Electoral College problem, reduce the stranglehold of the two party system, and give third party candidates a fighting chance without the spoiler effect. It won’t fix everything. But it fixes some important things.
Third, and this one’s for the real Republicans specifically.
Reclaim the name. Or get a new one.
The RINO label was meant to shame you into silence or compliance. It did neither permanently. You’re still here. The party you believed in is still worth believing in, fiscal responsibility, limited government, fair elections, reasonable conservatism that doesn’t require burning anything down.
If the Republican name is too stained to salvage, get a new one. And if you want a suggestion, keep the RINO. Just put an H in it. A Rhino is a thick skinned, large horned animal that doesn’t move for anything and has been around for fifty million years.
That’s a considerably fiercer mascot than whatever crawled out of Mar-a-Lago.
Oh, so what, so what! What difference does it make, like really, does it matter?
For months now, over a year, I have tuned in and followed Michael Popok, Ben Meiselas, Jack Cocchiarella, and Glenn Kirschner, just to name a few you may have watched or followed. Great to hear about the case files against the Trump administration and how Trump and his team keep losing.
It just warms the cockles of my heart to see Trump take a beating in court, one federal judge after another saying no to little Donny.
This has been going on since Trump signed his first executive order, probably to swap out the bidets in the ladies’ lounge for gilded urinals, or something else along those lines.
He tries something. A suit is filed against him or “the thing.” And odds are, he or “it” loses. Forget the waste of time and taxpayer money, it isn’t coming out of his pocket, and if it was, he’d just file another appeal, Trump fashion.
But something has become a pattern that everybody’s saying without really saying it. Bizarre, really. He keeps losing. Bizarre. Wasn’t there a comic rag with a name like that? Mad Magazine, maybe. Must be showing my age again. But it is kind of bizarre if you think about it. Bizarro, that was it.
Let’s take a look at his latest Don Quixote charge, faithful Sancho (Blanche) at his side, attacking those wild and dangerous state elections that must look to him a lot like windmills, or something else very sinister. He keeps getting thrown from his steed, but Sancho keeps his fearless leader in the righteous battle, as any good bootshiner should.Copy to a new draft
So let’s look at the record. So far: Quixote-Sancho, 0. Windmills, 15. And 60 percent of those windmills had Republican judges leading the defense. Quite the defeat. Or quite the win, depending on which side of the scorecard you’re applauding from.
So circling back to our attorneys, analyzing and dissecting and passing judgment, all happy-faced about Trump’s losses, I have to ask myself: so what? That’s what I asked myself. SO WHAT? And why aren’t these experts in law asking that question too? So what. What has changed? Not a damn thing.
If the DOJ keeps losing, why does losing not matter anymore? Hey readers, that is a really, really big question. Has losing become a deliberate strategy? “Hey, look, we’re trying, but those left-wing commies are blocking us.”
Don’t forget Trump’s latest move into McCarthyism, look it up, 1950s America, almost as ugly as the 1970s race wars. Say it often enough, and some idiot will believe it.
But back to losing as a strategy. Why lose on purpose? At the very least, the minions can say, “Hey, boss man, we’re trying, but they keep using the law against us.” That line is worth repeating because of the shear irony in it.
“Hey, boss man, we’re trying, but they keep using the law against us.” The LAW
The other tactic, and this one is truly scary, because it’s starting to work on me, is fatigue. I’m tired. You’re tired. Everybody’s tired, burned out from all the BS. And “so what” is exactly where fatigue leads you. The moment you get there, they’ve already won. Not because they beat you in court. Because you stopped watching the scoreboard.
You Stopped Caring.
So while I’m still watching, I’ve got two requests for Donny.
Request one: take that damn tarp down from the Kennedy Center. It’s time to grow up.
Request two: where the hell are the Epstein/Trump files?
This week we are looking at our slate of gubernatorial candidates. As we see in our candidates, Governors’ races are where the independent movement becomes most tangible. A governor doesn’t need a caucus to sign a veto. A governor doesn’t need party leadership to appoint a cabinet secretary. The executive office is, in many ways, the role most naturally suited to an independent. It is someone who answers only to the electorate, not to a party structure. This week, three of the most compelling independent governor candidates in the country have news worth telling.
Ken Block
Independent Candidate for Governor of Rhode Island
Ken Block is a software engineer, data analytics expert, and government accountability watchdog making his third run for governor. He founded the Rhode Island Moderate Party in 2010, ran as a Republican in 2014, and is now running as an independent because, as he puts it: “My flavor of politics doesn’t align well with either political party.” He is a problem solver, a manager, a builder, and he has the credentials to back it up.
Block’s most significant credential for this moment in American politics is the important work he did after the 2020 election. In the wake of the 2020 election, he was hired by the Trump campaign to search for election fraud. After a thorough, data-driven investigation, he found no evidence of fraud sufficient to change the outcome in any swing state. He then did something even more remarkable: he told them so directly, and published his findings for the entire country to see in his 2024 book, Disproven.
Ken Block This Week:
Block appeared on CNN and C-SPAN to discuss the renewed national conversation around election integrity and what the data actually shows about the security of American elections.
Block is running because Rhode Island’s governance has frustrated him for years. He has been a leading voice speaking out against the sudden closure of the westbound Washington Bridge, a symbol of what he sees as the chronic management failures of a state run without accountability. His view of the governor’s job is to fix the systems, eliminate the waste, and manage the institution better.
Lauren Pinkston
Independent Candidate for Governor of Tennessee
Lauren Pinkston is a seventh-generation Tennessean, a former Lipscomb University professor, entrepreneur, and nonprofit leader who spent years starting businesses with survivors of human trafficking, researching employment gaps in the workforce, and advising global organizations before deciding that the most urgent injustice she could address was the system itself. She is running as an independent for governor to change a system that seems to reward political extremism and fails to represent all Tennesseans, not just party loyalists.
Her campaign slogan, Not Red, Not Blue. Just You, reflects a deliberately citizen-first approach in a state that has not elected a Democratic governor since 2006 and has long been treated as a foregone conclusion for Republican leadership. Pinkston is challenging that assumption by pointing to a growing constituency of Tennesseans who feel left behind by the partisan framework entirely. She cited 2024 Gallup data showing 43% of Americans considered themselves independent voters, affiliated with neither the Democratic Party nor the Republican Party, and is building her coalition from that reality on the ground.
The TN race this week:
The Tennessee gubernatorial race has been rocked by new reporting on Republican candidate Marsha Blackburn. New recordings allege that Senator Blackburn’s office pressured its staffers to illegally participate in political activity, warning colleagues that they would be “asked to break the law on some level.”
The story raises questions that Forward and Lauren Pinkston’s campaign are built to answer: How do voters trust their own government when those in charge believe the rules don’t apply to them?
Pinkston is the most credible independent in the governor’s field by fundraising and institutional support, running a grassroots campaign that has resonated with voters who are exhausted by the partisan binary. She launched her campaign late last year with three stops across the state making clear from the beginning that she was running for all of Tennessee, not for a party’s base.
Rick Bennett
Independent Candidate for Governor of Maine
Rick Bennett has an impressive resume by any standard. With 18 combined years in the Maine House and Senate, including a unanimous election as President of the Maine Senate, Bennett has the receipts to prove that work can be done across party lines. He has spent nearly two decades doing exactly that in Augusta. He knows every committee chairman. He has negotiated budgets with members of both parties. He has been in the room when deals get made. Ultimately, he has a legislative record that highlights a willingness to get things done.
The general election field is now set: Bennett faces Democrat Hannah Pingree and Republican Bobby Charles in a three-way November race without ranked-choice voting, meaning the winner takes a plurality, and every vote is consequential. His path runs through primary voters whose candidates didn’t survive RCV, the independents that make up an equal share of Maine’s electorate as members of either party, and whatever slice of moderate Republicans conclude that Charles is too closely aligned with Trump to be credible in a state that voted for Harris by seven points in 2024.
Bennett Campaign this week:
Rick Bennett unveiled his tax affordability plan this week, including provisions to build income-sensitive property tax relief, eliminate corruption and misuse of government funds, and create an office of the inspector general to investigate whistleblower complaints. “Property taxes fall hardest on people with fixed incomes, older Mainers and small business owners,” he said at a Portland event Monday. “That is where I will start.”
Bennett describes what drove him to leave the Republican Party in terms he’d clearly been sitting with for a while: the parties, he says, have gone “deeper, darker, and dumber into this cesspool of politics that is really driving a lot of ordinary people not just out of politics, but out of the public space entirely — and I think that’s intentional.” He added: “There are people who are putting their kids through college by keeping us fighting with each other rather than solving issues.”
What Three Governors’ Races Tell Us
Ken Block, Lauren Pinkston, and Rick Bennett are running with different ideologies and solutions for their home states. It is what makes the Forward Party design essential in today’s politics. Each understands what works for their constituents and what will solve the problems unique to their state. A party’s leadership should not dictate that.
The Forward Party supports leaders who reflect a more representative politics, one where problem-solving matters more than party labels and where elected officials are accountable to the people they serve.
Please forward this to your friends, family, and coworkers. It helps us introduce them to Forward and to what we are building. Also consider inviting them to one of our upcoming events listed below. We’d love to meet them.
If you haven’t caught last week’s episode, Lindsey Williams Drath, Governor Christine Todd Whitman, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, and guest host Jackie Salit examine the barriers independent candidates face in getting on the ballot.
Joined by Arizona gubernatorial candidate Hugh Lytle and Texas lieutenant governor candidate Mike Collier, they discuss restrictive election laws, court challenges, and a system that often favors the two major parties.
Join the Forward Party Women’s Committee for a discussion with Forward Party CEO Lindsey Williams Drath and her outlook on the future of women in the party.
Join members of the Young Forwardists as they introduce you to the Forward Party and how you can get involved in our pivotal movement to make politics better.
Date: July 20, 2026 Contact: Connor Radnovich | connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read to Hold Election Security Press Conference
The Trump administration has escalated its attacks on elections in recent weeks
SALEM, OR — Today, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read will hold a press conference to outline the attacks the Trump administration has leveled against free and fair elections over the past 18 months and detail what Oregonians should expect with their elections this fall.
EVENT INFORMATION
WHO: Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read
WHAT: Election Security Press Conference
WHERE: Portland Community College, Southeast Campus, 2305 SE 82nd Ave, Portland
WHEN: Monday, July 20, 2026, at 1:45 PM
RSVP: To reserve your spot at the press conference or receive a link to the livestream, email connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov. Building and room number provided upon RSVP.
This email was sent to bjones@bxbweb.com using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
This week, we’re spotlighting endorsements in two states where Forward Party has earned party status.
It is not a fast process and requires meeting state-specific requirements for voter registration, petition thresholds at the organizational level, plus a sustained presence in the states’ politics over time. It is strong foundational building by Forward that changes everything for our candidates.
In Colorado and Minnesota specifically, for endorsed candidates Celeste Landry and Jay Reeves, that ballot line means they can bypass ballot access hurdles and focus on reaching voters.
There are certain government jobs whose entire purpose depends on the nonpartisan execution of duty. Celeste Landry, running for Colorado Secretary of State, and Jay Reeves, running for Minnesota State Auditor, are running because they understand the importance of those holders of these offices remaining loyal to the citizens first and foremost.
Both are running as Forward candidates, which mean they are also bringing the right values and credibility with them.
Colorado
Celeste Landry
Candidate for Secretary of State
Forward Party Ballot Line
Celeste Landry has been working on election integrity and voter rights in Colorado for more than two decades as a civic advocate who shows up for the process itself. She’s been a member of the League of Women Voters, testified before the Colorado legislature on voting rights legislation, and spent years identifying the unintended consequences of election laws that sound neutral but aren’t. She has worked with legislators from both parties and pushed back on both when she believed they were making things harder for voters. Her platform as Secretary of State is built on three pillars: the right to vote, better representation, and election integrity.
The Secretary of State is Colorado’s top election official. Celeste Landry’s argument is direct: elections belong to the voters, not to political parties, not to special interests, and not to whoever happens to be in power. That office exists to protect the integrity of the process for everyone. She is running to do exactly that.
Minnesota
Major Jay Reeves (Ret.)
Candidate for State Auditor
Forward Party Ballot Line
Jay Reeves grew up in a union family and earned his work ethic the hard way. He spent nearly 17 years serving in the United States Army as a lab scientist and data analyst. He is now running for State Auditor because, as he puts it, the job requires someone who follows the numbers, not the politics. His background speaks for itself: union labor, independent small business ownership as a truck driver, and nearly two decades of military healthcare leadership and data analytics. He brings a combination of experiences that is genuinely rare in a government oversight candidate and entirely suited to an office whose job is to audit public finances without fear or favor.
His platform is built on independence, transparency, data integrity, accountability, and technology modernization. He wants to build a modern data dashboard with township-level detail, create a standardized statewide reporting system, and ensure that fraud is reported to the right authorities with the law driving every decision. Jay Reeves has spent his entire adult life in service without an agenda. That is what the State Auditor’s office requires.
This is What Forward Party Infrastructure Actually Looks Like
It gives candidates who want to run outside the two-party system a real path forward. Without a party ballot line, independent candidates such as Landry and Reeves would face strict petition requirements, thousands of required signatures, and tight deadlines just to earn the right to appear on a ballot. The Forward Party’s ballot line removes those barriers entirely. Instead of spending their time and resources fighting to get on the ballot, they can put their energy into actually reaching the voters.
The Forward Party’s ballot lines in Colorado and Minnesota are proof that alternative exist. Every candidate who runs on them is evidence that the path is real and that voters can have more choices.
Celeste Landry and Jay Reeves are not just good candidates. They are proof of what this infrastructure is built for.
Please forward this to your friends, family, and coworkers. It helps us introduce them to Forward and to what we are building. Also consider inviting them to one of our upcoming events listed below. We’d love to meet them.
On this week’s episode, Lindsey Williams Drath, Governor Christine Todd Whitman, Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, and guest host Jackie Salit examine the barriers independent candidates face in getting on the ballot. Joined by Arizona gubernatorial candidate Hugh Lytle and Texas lieutenant governor candidate Mike Collier, they discuss restrictive election laws, court challenges, and a system that often favors the two major parties.
Join members of the Young Forwardists as they introduce you to the Forward Party and how you can get involved in our pivotal movement to make politics better. Whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, or anything in between, there’s a place in the Forward Party for you.
A follow-up for anyone who missed the point the first time
So I wrote this cool and informative piece — Why is Trump Desperate to Pass the SAVE America Act? — and I listed all the reasons the Wolf wants to eat the sheep. Really pretty comprehensive, if I do say so myself.
Then, a few days later, word starts drifting back through the grapevine. People asking, “well, so what?” What does any of that have to do with anything? Old people shouldn’t have franchises anyway.
W — T — Fudge.
It appears something may have flown a little too high, or maybe some readers were a little too high. After all, it was only ten days after the 4th, and after watching Trump stumping in his own honor in the July heat, I probably should have still been a little elevated myself.
So. Doobie out. Paying attention? Let’s go over the cryptic points one more time.
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And no. You are definitely not invited to the Ballroom Gala.
Date: July 17, 2026 Contact: Connor Radnovich | connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov
Secretary Read Pushes Back on DHS Secretary Mullin’s Newest Threats Against Election Workers
SALEM, OR — Today, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin threatened state elections officials with fines and jail time if they don’t participate in the federal government’s unlawful attempts to control how states run elections. To date, the Trump administration is 0-13 in court when attempting to force states to provide private voter data to the federal government.
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read released the following statement:
“In Oregon, we respect the law and the Constitution of the United States, and we will not let Washington D.C. politicians compromise our elections. I will defend our elections workers, Oregonians’ private voter data, our infrastructure, or anything else they come after with every tool at my disposal.
“Secretary Mullin’s comments today are just more proof that his boss is scared of losing the elections in November, and they are looking for shortcuts instead of doing their jobs and making life better for the American people.
“Oregon will have a secure and fair election this November, the results will accurately reflect the votes of our citizens, and politicians will have to accept the outcome, whether they like it or not.”
This email was sent to using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
Date: July 16, 2026 Contact: Connor Radnovich | connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov
‘Elections are Decided by Voters, Not by the President’: Secretary Read Responds to President Trump’s Prime-Time Address on Elections
SALEM, OR — Tonight, President Trump gave a prime-time speech to once again peddle election conspiracy theories and cast doubt on the integrity of American elections. Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read issued the following statement in response:
“Too many Americans sacrificed too much to let a tired, scared politician steal our elections.
“The President is once again making false claims about American elections; repeating conspiracy theories that have been disproven time and again so he can deny any election results he doesn’t like, just like he did in 2020.
“He knows Americans aren’t happy. He is afraid of facing accountability from voters this November. But, in America, elections are decided by voters, not by the President.
“Oregon’s vote-by-mail elections are secure, fair, and accurate, run by dedicated public servants who follow the law and answer directly to the communities they live in. Accountability and transparency are built into every step of our election process: from unique barcodes on each ballot envelope, to publicly certified vote counting machines that are never connected to the internet, to un-hackable paper ballots that are preserved and audited.
“I want the people of Oregon to know that as their Secretary of State, I will continue to stand up for their right to hold politicians and government accountable in free and fair elections.”
This email was sent to using Granicus Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
The SAVE America Act , The Wolf in Sheeps Clothing, Hey Lamb Chop.
Who it makes voting harder for:
Ordinary Americans broadly — More than 21 million Americans lack ready access to those documents. Roughly half of Americans don’t even have a passport.
The SAVE America Act , The Wolf in Sheeps
Voters of color and younger voters — The SAVE Act would disenfranchise Americans of all ages and races, but younger voters and voters of color would suffer disproportionately.
Older Black Americans specifically — Decades after segregation left gaps in citizenship documents, the bill could create new barriers at the ballot box for people who were never properly documented during that era.
Married women (and anyone who changed their name) — The bill would disproportionately affect women whose current legal names differ from the names on their birth certificates or passports. It does not include exceptions for eligible voters whose names differ from those on their identification documents, and would force them to submit additional documents — such as marriage certificates, divorce decrees, or court orders to prove their identities.
People who register by mail or online — In 2022, more than seven million Americans registered to vote by mail, and almost 11 million registered online. The bill would severely threaten mail registration and require online registration systems to be overhauled.
Naturalized citizens — Naturalized citizens are particularly at risk for being inaccurately flagged for removal from voter rolls under the bill’s data-verification requirements.
People with disabilities and the elderly — People with disabilities and older voters who may not be able to register in person would also face new barriers.
Supporters’ argument
Proponents say the bill is necessary to ensure only citizens vote and that it simply enforces existing law. They argue an affidavit process exists for those without documents.
Critics’ counterargument
All available evidence, including from the Trump administration itself, indicates that only American citizens vote and the exceptions are vanishingly rare. Critics point to Kansas as a cautionary example when Kansas adopted a similar proof-of-citizenship law in 2011, it prevented over 31,000 eligible citizens from registering to vote before it was blocked by federal courts.
July Date: July 10, 2026 Contact: Connor Radnovich | connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov
Secretary Read: Removal of Elections Commissioners an Attempt to Disrupt Election
The President terminated the remaining three commissioners on the Election Assistance Commission less than four months before a major election
SALEM, OR — Yesterday, President Donald Trump terminated the last three commissioners on the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission. The commission has several important roles in federal election administration, including certifying voting systems, accrediting testing laboratories, distributing election security grants, and maintaining the national mail voter registration form.
With all four seats on the commission currently vacant, some of these functions may be temporarily disrupted until new commissioners are appointed and confirmed.
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read is releasing the following statement:
“This is yet another attempt by the president to disrupt and sow distrust in our elections. It’s dangerous, it’s reckless, and frankly it’s desperate. The president is looking for any opportunity to seize control over the upcoming election because he is afraid of facing real accountability from voters. Regardless of what the president says or does, we are going to have a free and fair election this November, and voters will have an opportunity to make their voices heard.”
Date: July 9, 2026 Contact: Connor Radnovich | connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov
Secretary Read Commends Benton County Elections, Calls for Explanation from USPS
Recent reports indicate that mailed ballots were left in mailboxes on Election Day in Benton County
SALEM, OR — Today, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read is calling on the U.S. Postal Service to reassure Oregonians of its commitment to picking up ballots on or before Election Day in light of reports that ballots were left in mailboxes in Benton County on the day of the May primary election.
Secretary Read is releasing the following statement:
“My office has been in contact with the Benton County elections team, and I want to commend them for their professionalism and quick response after learning about this incident.
The U.S. Postal Service is a key partner in Oregon’s vote-by-mail system, and it is critical that voters can have confidence that when they put their ballot in the mailbox, it will be picked up by a postal carrier. That’s why I’m calling on the USPS to do a thorough review of its policies and practices regarding mail pick-up on or before Election Day. Transparency is essential for building public trust, so the results of this statewide review must be made available to the public.
Service cuts to the USPS have already slowed processing and postmarking of all mail, and voters need to know if there is a likelihood of additional delays at the mailbox. Unexpected delays cannot happen in November.
This incident also serves as a good reminder: Whenever possible, voters should return their ballot via an official ballot drop box, which ensures their ballot is delivered directly to their local elections office. If you need to use the mail, do so at least 7 days before Election Day.”
The Benton County elections team has confirmed that no election results from the May primary would be different as a result of ballots not receiving a postmark by Election Day.
I want to thank you for doing your part in this year’s Primary Election– for casting your ballot and making your voice heard. Thank you for participating in our democracy.
Voting is safe and convenient here in Oregon thanks to our vote-by-mail system. We consistently have some of the highest voter turnout in the country because of it, and this election was no exception. More than 1.28 million eligible Oregonians voted in this year’s primary. That’s the highest turnout we’ve ever seen in a midterm primary election.
And with several important measures and candidate races on the ballot, Oregonians showed up to shape the future of their communities and our state. Together, you decided who we’ll see on the November ballot and helped chart the course Oregon will take in the years ahead.
I cannot overstate how meaningful that is.
Voting is how we hold politicians accountable. It’s how we elect representatives to advocate for our communities. It’s how we shape the future of our state, and our country.
Your vote is your power.
That’s exactly why our most fundamental right-has come under increasing attack in recent months.
We’ve seen unconstitutional executive orders that threaten the integrity of our elections get issued. We’ve seen lawsuits aimed at undermining vote-by-mail get filed. We’ve seen repeated efforts aimed at making Americans question whether their vote truly matters.
But our democracy holds strong.
We’ve gotten a lot of great news in the past few weeks, and I hope you’ll take a moment to read more on that below, but here’s the bottom line: your vote matters, and you can trust that it will be counted this November.
Just remember to vote early, and use an official ballot drop box whenever possible.
As we ring out our nation’s 250th anniversary, the semiquincentennial, we’re reminded that the work of building a more perfect union belongs to all of us.
Every election provides us with another opportunity to do that work together, and I look forward to joining you in that effort this November.
Sincerely,
Tobias Read Oregon Secretary of State
Good News for Our Elections
Supreme Court Protects Oregon Voters’ Right to Have Their Ballots Counted
Last week, the United States Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Watson v. RNCthat states have the authority to count ballots that are cast by Election Day and received within a post-Election Day grace period.
In 2022, Oregon law established a 7-day post-Election Day grace period that allowed elections officials to count ballots that were cast on or before Election Day but delivered after Election Day. The post-Election Day grace period protects thousands of Oregonians’ votes from being thrown out because of delays at the Post Office. This is a big win for Oregon voters. You can read more about this ruling here.
Federal Court Blocks Executive Order that Would Undermine Vote-by-Mail
On June 25, a federal court blocked the President’s March 2026 executive order that would have allowed the U.S. Postal Service to deny ballots to voters not on the federal government’s list of approved voters, infringing upon states’ authority to administer elections. You can read more about this win here.
Victory in Executive Order Case on Voting Rights
On June 24, a federal judge permanently blocked key parts of the President’s March 2025 executive order that would have made it harder for eligible citizens to vote due to documentation requirements. You can find more information here.
2026 Primary Election Town Halls
I’d like to give a special shout out to every Oregonian who joined me at a town hall this spring.
Whether you participated online or attended in Corvallis, Philomath, Portland, or Lincoln City, you showed up with the thoughtful questions and concerns that so many Oregonians are thinking about right now. I’m grateful for the meaningful conversations we had together.
As we head toward the November General Election, I want to make sure you have the information you need to cast your ballot with confidence. That’s why I’ll be traveling across Oregon for another round of town halls this fall. Stay tuned for dates and locations—I hope to see you there.
New Secretary of State Website is LIVE!
Exciting news: our office launched a new and improved website today, meant to help you and every Oregonian get the information you need fast.
It’s easier to navigate, works better on your phone, and has improved search tools to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.
Whether you’re registering a business, checking election information, researching Oregon history, or looking for public records, this new website will make it a whole lot easier. Please, take a look! You can visit the new website at sos.oregon.gov.
Date: July 8, 2026 Contact: Connor Radnovich | connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov
Trump Administration Renews Attempts to Intimidate Election Administrators, Undermine Elections
Secretary Read pledges to stand up for Oregon as many times as it takes
SALEM, OR — Yesterday, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read received a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice stating that the federal government was ready to prosecute elections officials and renewing their attempts to unlawfully meddle in Oregon elections.
Secretary Read is releasing the following statement:
“The U.S. DOJ is knocking on our door again with more threats and no evidence to back up their fever dreams about non-existent voter fraud.
Oregon elections are secure, accurate, and fair. These are facts backed up by decades of work by local elections officials who follow the law.
I’m not intimidated by political threats or manufactured controversy. My priority is making sure Oregonians can continue to hold government accountable, free from any interference by politicians in Washington D.C. We’ve beaten back every illegal executive order and lawsuit so far. We’re ready to do it again, as many times as it takes.
If the President actually wanted to strengthen our elections, there are better places to start: adequately funding election administration, restoring the federal election cybersecurity program he cut, and expanding access to vote-by-mail, paper ballot elections – just to name a few.”
The letter to Secretary Read was signed by Harmeet Dhillon, a former Republican party official and 2020 election denier who is now leading the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division under President Trump.
Two hundred and fifty years ago, a group of Americans signed a document that changed history.
They declared independence from a system that had stopped serving the people. They believed ordinary citizens deserved something better and were willing to build it.
Today, we are making our own declaration.
The Forward Party is proud to launch our “Declaration of Independents.” We declare ourselves independent from a two-party system that has held this country hostage for too long. From a politics of division, dysfunction, and self-dealing. From a government machine that answers to parties instead of the people it was built to serve.
But a declaration is only the beginning. Building a new political movement takes organizers, candidates, volunteers, technology, ballot access, and supporters willing to invest in something bigger than the next election.
If today’s message resonates with you, would you make a contribution to help build what’s next?
Every gift helps us expand ballot access, support independent candidates, and reach more Americans who are ready for something different.
Make a July 4 Gift
And if you’d like to wear your support, our limited Independence Day merchandise collection is available now!
Plato may be right. All democracies will fail. But I don’t think now’s the time.
When looked at from a distance, we can see the arc of almost anything. Civilizations, movements, ideas. The beginning and the end become visible, like a landscape from altitude. But the closer we get, the more the timeline shifts and blurs. The ending moves around. Why would that be? Maybe because philosophies and people don’t always work hand in hand.
Ideas are clean. People are not.
I have been around long enough to have stood in a few crowds, carried a few convictions, and watched more than one cause rise and fade. Through all of it, every march, every movement, every upheaval, there has always been a placard somewhere in the crowd that read some version of the same thing: Power to the people.
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That truth is this. The closest thing to actual power most of us will ever hold is a vote and a voice. That’s it. That’s the whole arsenal. It isn’t much, until enough people pick it up at the same time.
But neither of those things work if we stop using them. And they stop working in a different way when we use them without thinking. When we vote the way we’re told to vote, believe what we’re told to believe, and accept what we’re told to accept.
Plato may be right. All democracies will fail. But I don’t think now’s the time.
When looked at from a distance, we can see the arc of almost anything. Civilizations, movements, ideas. The beginning and the end become visible, like a landscape from altitude. But the closer we get, the more the timeline shifts and blurs. The ending moves around. Why would that be? Maybe because philosophies and people don’t always work hand in hand.
Ideas are clean. People are not.
I have been around long enough to have stood in a few crowds, carried a few convictions, and watched more than one cause rise and fade. Through all of it, every march, every movement, every upheaval, there has always been a placard somewhere in the crowd that read some version of the same thing: Power to the people.
We both know that’s a catch phrase. It always has been. But here’s the thing about catch phrases. The good ones survive because they point at something real, even when nobody’s delivering it. The illusion has to be maintained because somewhere underneath it is a truth people can feel even when they can’t see it.
That truth is this. The closest thing to actual power most of us will ever hold is a vote and a voice. That’s it. That’s the whole arsenal. It isn’t much, until enough people pick it up at the same time.
But neither of those things work if we stop using them. And they stop working in a different way when we use them without thinking. When we vote the way we’re told to vote, believe what we’re told to believe, and accept what we’re told to accept.
Independent thought has always been the first casualty of concentrated power. Not because the people are stupid. They never are. But because every system, in every era, has had a quiet interest in discouraging it. It is easier to lead people who have already decided what they think. Easier still to lead people who believe that what they think, they arrived at on their own.
We live under a democracy, a republic if you want to be precise about it. Living under it comes with benefits most of us have stopped noticing, the way you stop noticing a foundation until it cracks. But those benefits have never been free. They have always cost something. The people who built this thing paid for it. The people who saved it, more than once, paid for it. And the people who will determine whether it survives this particular moment in its timeline will pay for it too.
The question isn’t whether you’re willing to believe in it.
The question is whether you’re willing to stop accepting the illusion in place of the real thing, and what you’re prepared to do about it.
That’s always been the question. It just hasn’t always been this urgent.
Thank God I’m not from Texas, because being a Purple Rose is being a screwed Rose in Texas not much better than being a Yellow Rose.
Only Red roses and Blue Rose have a chance there.I’m just flabergasted Vance and Rubio haven’t article 25ve
A rose by any other color is just fertilized out of luck.
Try being an independent in Texas, Oh your allowed , maybe have to sit inn the back of the bus, if they can find a seat. And that’s a big maybe. But then again, the Fight at Alamo was as much about retaining slavery as gaining independence, don’t believe me, go read your history books.
The two party system has a choke hold on us, it has to change, we have to stop and it won’t be easy. The battle will look like we are fighting the Democrats and the Republicans but in reality, we will be fighting dark money.
The fight will be against Citizens United, the Federalist Society, the Superpacs, Acs American Constitution Society, Leonard Leo, Arabella Advisors and the list goes on. It’s the dark money, they want to control and control is easier when there are fewer choices.
Open the field and the Superpacs become less effective. Then we have can have a Congress that become MORE effective.
Because being a Purple Rose in Texas is being a screwed rose. Only Red roses and Blue roses have a chance there. A rose by any other color is just fertilized out of luck.
Try being an independent in Texas. You’re allowed — technically. Maybe you get to sit in the back of the bus, if they can find you a seat. And that’s a big maybe.
But then again, the fight at the Alamo was as much about retaining slavery as gaining independence. Don’t believe me — go read your history books.
Here’s what Texas law actually requires of an independent candidate running for statewide office.
First — collect more than 81,000 valid voter signatures just to get on the ballot. That’s a steep hill by itself. But Texas doesn’t stop there.
Independent candidates aren’t allowed to start collecting signatures until after the party primary runoff elections are finished. This year that meant waiting until May 26th.
Read that again because it matters.
Independent candidates aren’t allowed to start collecting signatures until after the party primary runoff elections are finished.
The petitions were due June 25th.
Do the math.
Thirty days to collect over 81,000 signatures statewide — a task that would challenge even a well-funded campaign with an established organization behind it.
Then it gets more interesting.
Anyone who voted in either a party primary or runoff election is prohibited from signing an independent candidate’s petition. Texas shrinks the pool of eligible signers before the process even begins.
Thirty day deadline. Reduced pool of eligible voters. Statewide signature requirement that would be difficult under the best of circumstances.
You can decide for yourself whether that’s about election integrity or ballot access.
Texas didn’t write these laws in a vacuum. The machinery that benefits from limited choices operates at a national level even when the laws are written state by state. Similar barriers — different deadlines, different thresholds, different methods — exist across the country. The details change. The effect is the same. Fewer choices. Less competition. A political system that protects the existing parties from having to compete with anyone who doesn’t carry their label.
Whether it’s gerrymandered districts reducing competition or ballot access laws making it nearly impossible for independent candidates to qualify — the result is consistent. A chokehold.
And the hands on that chokehold aren’t just Republican or Democrat.
They’re darker than that.
Citizens United opened the floodgates. Leonard Leo built the judicial architecture. Arabella Advisors operates the left side of the same coin. Federalist Society. SuperPACs. Dark money flowing through nonprofits that don’t have to disclose their donors to anyone.
The two party system isn’t just a political habit. It’s a business model. And it’s extraordinarily well funded by people who understand that fewer choices means more control and more control means more return on their investment.
Open the field and the SuperPACs become less effective. More candidates means more variables means less predictable outcomes means less return on the dark money investment.
That’s why the field stays closed.
The Purple Rose doesn’t get fertilized by accident.
It just gets shit on.
The choices are yours.
But first you have to fight for the right to make them.
Date: June 29, 2026 Contact: Connor Radnovich | connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov
Secretary Read: Supreme Court Protects Oregon Voters’ Right to Have Their Ballots Counted
The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that states have the authority to count ballots cast by Election Day and received within a post-Election Day grace period
SALEM, OR — In response to today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Watson vs. Republican National Committee, which maintains states’ authority to count mailed ballots that were cast by Election Day but delivered to elections officials after Election Day, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read released the following update for Oregon voters:
“Today’s decision is a win for Oregon voters. The post-Election Day grace period protects thousands of Oregonians’ votes from being thrown out because of delays at the Post Office. This ruling means those legally cast ballots that arrive within 7 days of the election will be counted and those Oregonians’ voices will be heard,”Secretary Read said.
“But my advice to voters has not changed: don’t wait. Vote early and use an official drop box. If you have to return your ballot by mail, do it at least a week before Election Day, especially if you live more than 50 miles from Portland. I want every legal vote in Oregon to count. Our state is stronger when the government answers to the people.”
In 2022, Oregon law established a 7-day post-Election Day grace period that allowed elections officials to count ballots that were cast on or before Election Day but delivered after Election Day. This meant that mailed ballots postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Day and received within that 7-day window were tallied no differently than ballots received via the mail pre-Election Day.
Over the past four years, tens of thousands of legally cast ballots were received within Oregon’s elections grace periods and counted, protecting those Oregonians’ right to vote.
The post-Election Day grace period also provided an important buffer after recent cuts to the U.S. Postal Service that slowed processing and delivery for all mail (including ballots), particularly for Oregonians who live more than 50 miles outside the Portland area.
The Secretary of State’s office strongly recommends that voters begin researching their choices early, fill out their ballot quickly upon receipt, and use an official ballot drop box to ensure their ballot gets to a county elections office by Election Day.
The Forward Party has officially endorsed six independent candidates running for federal office — four for the U.S. Senate and two for the U.S. House. Their elections could fundamentally change how Congress works.
Six Candidates. Two Chambers. One Argument.
The Forward Party has announced the most expansive independent federal endorsement slate by any political organization in the 2026 election cycle. Four U.S. Senate candidates across Idaho, Colorado, South Dakota, and Montana, plus two U.S. House candidates in Iowa are being added to our growing list of endorsed candidates. They are veterans, business leaders, and public servants, all running without a party.
U.S. Senate Endorsements
Idaho • Colorado • South Dakota • Montana
Idaho
Todd Achilles
U.S. Senate | Independent | Challenging Sen. Jim Risch (R)
Todd Achilles is an Army veteran, former Idaho State Representative, technology executive, and public policy instructor from Boise. He has the military record, the legislative experience, the private-sector track record, and the classroom credibility that most Senate candidates would dream of — and he’s running without a party label against a three-term incumbent who has held Idaho office since nearly 1970.
In Idaho, unaffiliated voters now outnumber registered Democrats two to one. Achilles’ campaign polling shows him trailing Risch by 14 points among uninformed voters — and leading by 3 among voters who know both candidates. That gap shows this race gets better every time a voter hears the argument.
He is also a founder and board member of Veterans for Idaho Voters, and a member of the American Federation of Teachers union and Idaho Business for Education — the kind of cross-constituency coalition that can actually win a Senate race in a state that’s ready for something different.
Colorado
Bob Chew
U.S. Senate | Forward Party | Challenging Sen. John Hickenlooper (D)
Bob Chew served as an officer on a nuclear submarine during the Cold War, then spent 30 years building a global company from four employees to 700. He knows how to build something real and work hard for it.
He’s running on the Forward Party line in Colorado because he believes both parties have spent decades refusing to have the hard conversations: the national debt, Social Security solvency, immigration, and energy. He is self-funding his candidacy and has pledged to invest whatever it takes because conviction, not calculation, is what got him into this race.
The forward argument isn’t always about which race is easiest to win. Sometimes it’s about challenging a system that has gone unchallenged. Chew’s opponent Sen. John Hickenlooper is an incumbent in a state where one party has been unchallenged for too long.
South Dakota
Brian Bengs
U.S. Senate | Independent | Challenging Sen. Mike Rounds (R)
Brian Bengs is a U.S. Navy and Air Force JAG Corps veteran, former instructor at the Air Force Academy and NATO School, law professor at Northern State University, and Wind Cave National Park Ranger. He has spent his life in service — in uniform, in the classroom, and in his community — and now he’s channeling that same ethic into a Senate campaign built on a simple foundational argument: big money in politics is the root cause of nearly every policy failure South Dakotans are living with.
He’s been a member of the American Legion, the VFW, and Veterans for All Voters as a state leader. In 2023, he led a citizen-driven constitutional amendment effort to protect voter-passed ballot measures from legislative override. He’s done this before — organized from scratch, built a coalition, fought the system.
Montana
Seth Bodnar
U.S. Senate | Independent | Open Seat
Seth Bodnar graduated first in his class at West Point, served as a Green Beret with multiple overseas deployments, built a career in business, and spent eight years as president of the University of Montana.
The story of how he got into this race tells you something about the problem he’s running to fix. Two-term incumbent Sen. Steve Daines withdrew from the race eight minutes before the filing deadline and simultaneously endorsed his chosen successor, Kurt Alme — without a primary, without voter input, without asking Montana if that’s what they wanted. Numerous elected Montana Republicans have gone on record expressing their frustration with the move. It is exactly the kind of insider self-dealing that Bodnar’s campaign is built to challenge.
He has outraised every other candidate in the race — Democrat and Republican. Montana showed up for him before a single vote was cast.
U.S. House Endorsements
Iowa’s 1st District • Iowa’s 2nd District
Iowa is a state with a sizable unaffiliated electorate and is about to have independent candidates in two competitive congressional districts at the same time. Both are candidates who did the strenuous door-to-door work to earn their place on the November ballot.
Michael Bridgford
U.S. House, IA-01 | Independent | Challenging Mariette Miller-Meeks (R)
Michael Bridgford is running in one of the most-watched congressional districts in the country. Cook Political Report rates Iowa’s 1st District a toss-up. Roughly one-third of voters in the district aren’t registered with either major party.
His district’s general election will be a three-way race — and this is the third consecutive cycle in which the same two major-party candidates, incumbent Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) and Democrat Christina Bohannon, will face off. Iowa’s 1st District voters know exactly what they’re getting from both parties. Bridgford is offering them something they haven’t had: a choice. “I think 2026 is a big year for an independent movement across the country,” he has said. He’s not wrong.
Dave Bushaw
U.S. House IA-02 | Independent | Open Seat
Dave Bushaw is a squash farmer in West Union, a labor unionist, and a folk musician who has played at union strikes across the country. “Both parties walked away from the people who built this country,” he has said. That conviction drove him to do something Iowa’s legislature tried to prevent: qualify for the November ballot as an independent after the state raised the signature threshold mid-campaign.
He knocked on more than 7,000 doors in northeast Iowa. 88% of the people who answered signed his petition. He officially filed his signatures on June 2nd — primary day itself — achieving 200% of the required number in every single county in Iowa’s 2nd District. That is not just ballot access. That is a grassroots mandate. The general election will be a three-way race against Democrat Lindsay James and Trump-backed Republican Joe Mitchell, in a district Cook now describes as “increasingly competitive.”
How These Candidates Could Change Everything
Here’s the argument both parties hope you never think about too hard.
The Senate and the House both operate on razor-thin margins right now. Whichever party holds the majority controls the committee chairs, the legislative calendar, and every procedural lever that determines what bills ever reach a vote. The minority party can obstruct. That’s it. And that majority can be as thin as one or two seats before everything changes. Independent senators and representatives are not required to caucus with either major party. That means a small enough bloc — even two or three seats in the Senate — could deny either party an outright working majority, and in exchange for agreeing to organize the chamber, demand real structural changes
Forward Party candidates are accountable to the voters. They will focus on solutions, not partisan fighting, in order to serve their constituents. In these six campaigns, it’s a description of what they’ve already done before a single November vote is cast.
Please forward this to your friends, family, and coworkers. It helps us introduce them to Forward and to what we are building. Also consider inviting them to one of our upcoming events listed below. We’d love to meet them.
If you haven’t watched the newest episode of The Forward Party Podcast from last week with John Avlon, journalist, political analyst, and host of “How to Fix It” and special guest Khalil Ekulona, former NPR host and community storyteller, you are missing out!
The Young Forwardists are looking for passionate students ready to bring civic engagement to their local high school! Join our growing movement to diversify politics by creating a Young Forwardists Chapter at your school, where you’ll have real exposure to political opportunities, candidates, campaigns, and policy writing.
Training and a show of resources for new members of the Welcome Team! Welcome Team participants will call new supporters in their state and welcome them to the Forward Party. A suggested script for conversations and email template for follow up will be provided.
Join us for a practical, energizing training on how to plan and run town halls that actually bring people together. You’ll learn how to choose the right venue, confirm speakers, promote the event effectively, and handle day of details with confidence. With GOTV season upon us, we know you want to be able to hold impactful events to help your candidates, so RSVP to learn more with us!
Secretary Read Certifies May Election Results, Confirms Historic Turnout
Oregon records the highest midterm primary voter turnout in state history
SALEM, OR — Today, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read certified the results of the 2026 May statewide election.
In total, more than 1.28 million eligible Oregonians voted, the most in a midterm primary election in state history. The official turnout rate was 41.87%, the second highest for a midterm primary since 1998, when Oregon became an exclusively vote-by-mail state.
“Voting is one of the most meaningful acts a citizen can take to participate in our democracy. Voting is how we hold politicians accountable, decide the direction of our state, and elect representatives to advocate for our communities,”Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read said. “I’m proud that so many Oregonians made their voices heard in this election. Our state is stronger when Oregonians hold their government accountable. Let’s set another record in November.”
Certification is the final step in the post-election day process to ensure the security, accuracy, and fairness of Oregon’s elections. As part of this process, elections officials take a variety of steps, including:
Resolving outstanding ballot issues, such as curing ballot signatures.
Publicly testing the accuracy of vote tallying machines.
Performing audits and hand counts to verify the results.
The Secretary of State’s office will release detailed election turnout data in the coming weeks.
Date: June 25, 2026 Contact: Connor Radnovich | connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov
Federal Court Blocks Executive Order that Would Undermine Vote-by-Mail
The executive order would have allowed the U.S. Postal Service to deny ballots to voters not on the federal government’s list
SALEM, OR — Today, in yet another a win for Oregon voters, a federal court blocked President Trump’s March 2026 executive order restricting mail-in voting and infringing upon states’ authority to administer elections.
Oregon joined 22 other states and the District of Columbia in this lawsuit, one of many steps Oregon elected leaders have taken to defend Oregonians’ right to vote.
“The President wants to pick and choose who gets to vote, but, in America, we don’t let Presidents interfere in elections,”Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read said. “The Constitution protects our right to run free, fair elections, and we will defend it. Oregonians decided many years ago that vote-by-mail was our preferred way of voting, and it remains the gold standard for integrity and access nationwide.”
The March 2026 executive order required states to provide sensitive voter information to the federal government, which would use that data to create a nationwide list of approved voters.
As part of his work to implement the executive order, the U.S. Postal Service postmaster recently said that states that did not provide voter information would not have mail ballots delivered at all, effectively denying the right to vote to all eligible Oregonians. Today’s ruling protects Oregon’s elections from federal interference.
Oregon pioneered vote-by-mail nearly 30 years ago and several states have joined Oregon with exclusively vote-by-mail elections.
Due to cuts at USPS, for the upcoming November general election the Secretary of State’s office recommends returning ballots via official ballot drop boxes or by mailing at least 1 week before election day.
Trump is out. The clown is getting the hook. You’d have to be blind not to see it — and he’s too busy with his burgers to notice it himself. I have recently written about how the two party system has failed us and how dark money has made it nearly impossible for an independent candidate to even get on the ballot. The Republicans and the Democrats are not running the show. The SuperPACs are.
So when Musk threatened to start his own party during the DOGE wars all he was really doing was threatening Trump. Because Musk’s party couldn’t have gotten on 90 percent of American ballots. But it would have weakened the MAGA base — which was exactly the point.
Then Tucker Carlson said this:
“I would not support the Republican Party, there’s no chance. Not gonna support the Democratic Party. I don’t know what I’m going to do. How could I or any American voter support a political party that’s not loyal to the United States — that puts the interests of a foreign country above those of its own citizens. It’s not possible to vote for people like that and I’m not going to. I voted Republican my entire life. I worked at Fox News. I’ve been a consistent defender for 35 years of the Republican Party, but there’s no defending this because it’s immoral. I’m out. And if I’m out, then I think a lot of other people are out.”
Different name. Same chokehold. Same dark money. Same result for the Purple Rose.
I don’t think I need to put the pipe down to ask that question.
I think it’s the only question worth asking right now.
And I’m genuinely puzzled why so few people are asking it.
Date: June 24, 2026 Contact: Connor Radnovich | connor.radnovich@sos.oregon.gov
Secretary Read Celebrates Victory in Executive Order Case on Voting Rights
A federal judge permanently blocked key parts of an executive order that would have made voting more difficult for eligible citizens
SALEM, OR — Today, in a victory for the rights of people to hold politicians accountable through elections, a federal judge permanently blocked key parts of President Trump’s March 2025 executive order that would have made it harder for eligible citizens to vote.
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read is releasing the following statement:
“As I’ve been saying for months and a judge agreed today, the president does not have any power over how states run elections. The Constitution is clear: states and Congress set the rules for elections, not one man in the Oval Office. Instead of trying to make voting more difficult, the president should instead focus on strengthening election security, supporting local election officials, and protecting every eligible American’s freedom to vote.”
This ruling was in response to a lawsuit brought by 19 states that sued to block President Trump’s executive order from March 2025. The order had previously been partially blocked by the same court under a preliminary injunction.
Other federal courts have also granted injunctions against this executive order, including the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in response to Oregon and Washington’s lawsuit.
The first day to file a voters’ pamphlet statement by fee is around the corner!
Did you know that if you pay for your statement now you can make changes all the way up until the deadline to file? This gives you flexibility to make changes as the landscape changes and while you seek endorsements. Speaking of endorsements, did you know endorsers are required to fill out a form giving you permission to use their name?
Whether you’re a first-time candidate or whether you’re looking for a refresher, the Elections Division invites you to join us for a comprehensive overview of the voters’ pamphlet filing process.
This email was sent to ——– using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Oregon Secretary of State · 900 Court Street NE · Capitol Room 136 · Salem OR 97310-0722
Most debates about the Electoral College start with people choosing sides. One side wants to keep it. The other wants to abolish it.
I think the more interesting question is: What problem was it designed to solve, and does that problem still exist?
In 1787, information traveled at the speed of a horse. Most citizens knew little about candidates from distant states. The United States was less a single nation than a collection of states agreeing to work together. The Electoral College was part compromise, part practical necessity, and part protection against direct democracy in a world where voters had limited information.
For its time, the system made sense.
Today, none of those conditions exist.
A voter in Oregon can watch a speech made in Florida in real time. News travels instantly. Candidates campaign nationally. Americans think of themselves as citizens of one country first and residents of a state second.
The original reasons for creating the Electoral College have weakened or disappeared.
Yet replacing it raises legitimate concerns.
A pure popular vote could encourage candidates to focus heavily on large population centers. The current system encourages candidates to focus on a handful of swing states. Neither approach feels particularly representative.
Today, millions of Republicans in California and millions of Democrats in Texas know their presidential vote is unlikely to matter. At the same time, a relatively small number of voters in a few battleground states effectively decide the election.
That suggests the problem is not simply the Electoral College. The problem is that our current system leaves large numbers of Americans feeling their vote has little impact.
I don’t pretend to know the perfect answer.
Perhaps it is a modified Electoral College. Perhaps it is a national popular vote. Perhaps it is a system nobody has proposed yet.
What I do know is that institutions should be judged by whether they solve today’s problems, not yesterday’s.
The Electoral College was created to address concerns that were real in 1787.
If the Electoral College is broken, what replaces it?
A straight popular vote?
A proportional allocation of electoral votes instead of winner-take-all states?
A ranked-choice national election?
A system where states award electoral votes by congressional district?
A constitutional convention to redesign the whole thing?
I don’t know.
What I do know is that every system solves one problem by creating another.
A pure popular vote values every vote equally, but raises concerns about population concentration.
The Electoral College protects state influence, but leaves many voters feeling irrelevant.
Winner-take-all states simplify elections, but turn most states into spectators.
There may not be a perfect answer. There may only be better compromises.
Before we argue about which system to adopt, we should at least agree on which problem we’re trying to solve.
If we can’t answer that question, we’re just rearranging the furniture.
And unlike the spare toilet paper at my house, nobody seems to know where the solution is stored.
The Electoral College asks how states should be represented.
Ranked-choice voting asks how voters should be represented.
Maybe before we decide which system is best, we should decide whose voice we are trying to hear more clearly.
Ever feel like you’re on the verge of a nervous breakdown from all the noise? The he said she said, on and on, round and round. Just noise.
But is it just noise?
Sometimes the most important thing happening isn’t the loudest thing happening. Sometimes the real story is in the room nobody is looking at.
Trump is out. The clown is getting the hook. You’d have to be blind not to see it — and he’s too busy with his burgers to notice it himself. I have recently written about how the two party system has failed us and how dark money has made it nearly impossible for an independent candidate to even get on the ballot. The Republicans and the Democrats are not running the show. The SuperPACs are.
So when Musk threatened to start his own party during the DOGE wars all he was really doing was threatening Trump. Because Musk’s party couldn’t have gotten on 90 percent of American ballots. But it would have weakened the MAGA base — which was exactly the point.
Then Tucker Carlson said this:
“I would not support the Republican Party, there’s no chance. Not gonna support the Democratic Party. I don’t know what I’m going to do. How could I or any American voter support a political party that’s not loyal to the United States — that puts the interests of a foreign country above those of its own citizens. It’s not possible to vote for people like that and I’m not going to. I voted Republican my entire life. I worked at Fox News. I’ve been a consistent defender for 35 years of the Republican Party, but there’s no defending this because it’s immoral. I’m out. And if I’m out, then I think a lot of other people are out.”
Now ask the question nobody seems to want to ask out loud.
Where are they going?
Tucker isn’t going long term. A third party takes decades to build and he doesn’t have that kind of patience or that kind of money. But somebody does.
Here is where we need to look. Here is the room nobody is looking at.
The SuperPACs. The dark money. The Federalist Society. Leonard Leo. Arabella Advisors. The entire infrastructure that has been quietly and methodically building the conservative legal and political architecture for thirty years.
They didn’t back Trump because they loved him. They backed him because he was a useful vehicle. Three Supreme Court justices. Hundreds of federal judges. Regulatory rollback. Tax structure. The return on their investment has been substantial.
But now the vehicle is embarrassing them. The stall is covered in dung. The clown is jeopardizing thirty years of careful infrastructure with daily chaos and a cognitive decline visible to anyone paying attention.
MAGA is dead. Trying to save it is a fool’s errand.
So what are the options?
Save the Republican Party — purge the MAGA element, restore something resembling functional conservatism, hope Vance or Rubio or someone with a law degree and a functioning prefrontal cortex can carry the banner forward. Vance and Rubio haven’t invoked the 25th Amendment yet because they’re still afraid of the MAGA base. But here’s the thing — if they did it the Republican establishment would put them on their shoulders. The dark money would fund the parade.
Or start over — a new right of center party, properly funded, built from the existing infrastructure that Leonard Leo and the Federalist Society have already constructed. It would have money. It would have judicial connections. It would have the organizational architecture that third parties normally spend decades trying to build.
Which brings us to the question that should keep everyone awake.
Is that a good thing?
Are we watching the dark money apparatus recognize that their vehicle has failed and quietly preparing to deploy a new one? A cleaner one. A more electable one. A saving angel that turns out to serve the same architecture in a better suit?
Or to put it another way — would a new right wing party actually break the two party system open for independents and moderates?
Or would it just be a Texas sidestep?
Different name. Same chokehold. Same dark money. Same result for the Purple Rose.
I don’t think I need to put the pipe down to ask that question.
I think it’s the only question worth asking right now.
And I’m genuinely puzzled why so few people are asking it.
Protecting voting rights is a fundamental aspect of American democracy, and your concern about potential executive overreach is valid given recent reports. While presidents have issued executive orders related to elections in the past, they don’t have unilateral authority to control how states run them, elections are primarily a state responsibility under the Constitution (Article I, Section 4), with Congress able to set or alter regulations for federal races. Any attempt to impose sweeping changes via executive order, especially if premised on unsubstantiated claims like foreign interference from past elections, would likely face immediate legal challenges and injunctions from federal courts, as happened with a similar order in March 2025.
Courts have repeatedly affirmed that such actions can’t override constitutional limits or state authority without clear statutory backing.
The SAVE America Act , The Wolf in Sheeps
Article 3 of 3 The Long Game — Power Beyond the Ballot – Video
By now, it is clear that the 2026 midterms are unlike any we have seen in recent memory. The scale of spending, the intensity of coordination, and the precision of messaging all suggest a high-stakes contest—but the full story goes deeper than individual candidates or party control.
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