Oregon Food Bank is committed to our mission to end hunger for good — and that requires us to protect our democracy and build community power to remove barriers that keep voters from the polls and food from our tables. Along with dozens of fellow community organizations and elected officials, we’ve issued a clear call for a full, fair vote count that is free from intimidation and violence.

We cannot end hunger without an inclusive democracy that works for all of us. Free and fair elections and the peaceful transition of government are core principles of a healthy democracy — and are essential to carry out our work to feed people today and address the policies and systems that drive hunger.

That’s why we’re taking action to #VoteOutHunger and ensure every vote is counted. 

Vote YES to #VoteOutHunger

From schools and libraries, to community safety, to treatment and recovery, we have an incredible opportunity this year to help all Oregonians emerge stronger from the ongoing pandemic and recent wildfires. Oregon Food Bank has endorsed a number of exciting ballot measures that have a direct and meaningful impact on the root causes of hunger.

There’s still time to vote!

Voter intimidation and disinformation is on the rise.

Sadly, we’ve seen a recent surge in paramilitary and alt-right activity in our communities, in ways that directly challenge our values of inclusive democracy in Oregon. These groups have used threats, intimidation and even violence to chill democratic practice, threaten community safety and undermine civil society.

We won’t be intimidated. We are committed to working together to protect our democracy and democratic institutions. And we have seen that when we come together with one voice, we can shut down hate and violence. Everyone has a role they can play to make sure voting in our communities is accessible and safe, that people turn out to vote, that every vote counts and that election results are respected.

What does voter intimidation look like?
Voter intimidation can take a variety of forms, and it does not have to occur within a certain distance of a polling place or ballot drop box to be illegal. Here are some examples of conduct that could be illegal voter intimidation:

• Following voters around
• Standing behind voters, taking notes
• Loudly discussing voter fraud laws in a voter’s presence
• Invasions of a voter’s space
• Suggesting possible future violence, prosecution, or legal action based on a voter’s presence at the polls
• Loitering watchfully near voters while visibly carrying a firearm
• Violent behavior inside or outside a polling site
• Confronting voters while wearing military-style or official-looking uniforms
• Law enforcement officers, even off duty, loitering by voters
• Disrupting voter lines or blocking the entrance to a polling place
• Aggressively approaching a voter’s vehicle or writing down the voter’s license plate number
• Harassing voters, or aggressively questioning them about their qualifications to vote

What can you do if you experience or observe intimidation or other barriers to voting?

Our partners at the Rural Organizing Project have compiled a host of helpful resources to help spot, report and stop voter intimidation and disinformation. 

If it is safe to do so, here are some quick steps you can take right away to counter voter intimidation or disinformation:

• Document the activity with photos or video (even descriptions of people, cars, license plates, signs, etc. are helpful!)
• Report the activity by calling (541) 714-3257‬ or online at rop.org/democracy
• Find and share a safer ballot drop-off site near you through this easy-to-use app