[EDITOR'S NOTE: Wooo-whee! There are a mess of elections on the table tonight, including the governor’s primary race, a run for the Multnomah County sheriff’s office, and a number of City Council seats up for grabs. It’s bound to be spicy. Before we dive in, however, it’s important we point out how this election night will be different than previous years. In the past, we usually had a firm grasp on which candidates had won.
The results of Oregon's primary election night have illuminated the priorities of Oregon voters while paving a mostly-clear path toward what will undoubtedly be a momentous November general election. Despite a new state law allowing mailed ballots postmarked on election day to be counted long after polls close, early results Tuesday evening had some candidates declaring victory by 9 pm. Other races won't be decided until all of the ballots are tallied—especially since the elections.