Program date: Oct. 2, 2026
Air date: Oct. 5, 2026
From the City Club of Eugene:
Join us for an inside look into how elections are conducted in Lane County. We hear from Lane County Clerk Tommy Gong about how he and other election officials in Oregon are dealing with the impediments and challenges to people voting in the upcoming November General Election. He talks to us about what it takes to run an election during these turbulent times and the safeguards and procedures that underpin our right to vote.
All across the country, courts and local election officials are dealing with an unprecedented amount of misinformation and assaults on the right for people to vote without harassment or interference. Recently a U.S. Supreme Court decision barred the federal government from requiring that all states give a list of voters to the US Postal Service to determine who gets a ballot and who doesn’t. This is only one example of potential interference in fair and open elections.
Since 1981, when the Oregon Legislature approved vote-by-mail for local elections, voters in Oregon have been ahead of the curve in making voting more accessible. In 1998 Oregon Ballot Measure 60 was passed with more than a 69% affirmative vote. This citizen initiative required all Primary and General Elections to be held using vote-by-mail, Currently all elections in Oregon are held by using vote-by-mail.
Oregon voters receive ballots in the mail and are able to vote in the privacy of their own homes or in discussion with family and friends, and return their ballot by mail or by putting it in an official ballot drop box.
The process of developing, printing and mailing ballots is complex and exacting. Lane County Election procedures for processing returned ballots and counting votes is transparent and easy for any member of the public to follow. Lane County Clerk Tommy Gong will be our guide through this important and intricate process. In Oregon every vote counts and every vote is counted.
Speakers:
Tommy Gong is the County Clerk for Lane County, Oregon. Completing his 23rd year in election administration, Tommy previously served in California counties – Contra Costa, San Luis Obispo, and Stanislaus. Tommy is a director for the Election Center/National Association of Election Officials and the California Voter Foundation. Earning his B.A. at the University of California at Berkeley and a M.B.A. at the San Francisco State University, Tommy was one of the first graduates of the California Professional Election Administrator Credential (Cal PEAC) in 2005 and completed the national Certified Election Registration Administrator (CERA) program in 2021.
Biographies are provided by the speaker and edited for length/proofreading by City Club of Eugene.
About the City Club of Eugene:
The mission of the City Club of Eugene is to build community vision through open inquiry. The Club explores a wide range of significant local, state, and national issues and helps to formulate new approaches and solutions to problems. Membership is open to all, and Club members have a direct influence on public policy by discussing issues of concern with elected officials and other policy makers. The City Club’s mailing address is PO Box 12084, Eugene, OR 97440, and its website is cityclubofeugene.org.
Video and Broadcast
This program will be live streamed, and the videotape will be made available on the City Club of Eugene’s Facebook page and You Tube Channel, in addition to our website. It will be broadcast on Monday, Oct. 5 at 7:00 p.m., on KLCC 89.7 FM.
Contact: For more information, visit CityClubOfEugene.org.