Deschutes County Republican Party Endorses the End VBM Initiative to Restore Trust in Oregon’s Elections
The Deschutes County Republican Party proudly endorses the End VBM (Vote by Mail) initiative, founded by Ben Edtl, Michaela Hammerson, and Stephen Joncus, as part of a broader effort to support substantive reforms to Oregon’s election and voter registration laws.
The End VBM initiative proposes a measure to be included in the November 2026 election to bring significant changes to strengthen election security and restore public confidence, including:
- Returning to single-day, in-person voting with paper ballots, reserving vote-by-mail for verified absentee voters.
- Requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote.
- Implementing transparent, precinct-level hand counting of ballots, instead of relying on tabulation machines that conceal their programming.
The Deschutes County Republican Party urges citizens to learn more about the End VBM initiative and get involved. For additional information, visit endvbm.com. Those in Deschutes County interested in helping to gather signatures to get this measure on the November 2026 ballot can contact the End VBM Deschutes County Director Connie Whelchel at [email protected].