In today's electoral update, we cover the numbers and a reminder that it's too late to vote by mail - drop your ballot off at one of Washington County's 21 drop sites.

Governor Kate Brown has extended Oregon’s declaration of a state of emergency, originally made on March 8, into 2021.

“Washington County elections officials are asking voters to use one of these official ballot dropsites as early as possible so all ballots can be processed in a timely manner,” Washington County said in a press release.

Sunday, November 1 will have 25 hours instead of the usual 24 as the end of daylight saving time happens at 2 a.m., rolling back to 1 a.m. for a do over of the past hour.

While still lagging behind Multnomah and Clackamas Counties in terms of voter turnout percentages, Washington County was only 1.1% behind the statewide average of 40.3%, with 39.2% of eligible county voters turning in a ballot as of Monday morning.

This week's installment of the Esther Lilly Hundley diaries: Telegrams, a ride through the Scoggins Valley (now Hagg Lake), and a Halloween program round out the week, just a few snapshots of life in Gales Creek in 1931.

Temperatures will plummet Sunday night, prompting a 'Freeze Warning' from the Portland National Weather Service beginning 1 a.m. through 10 a.m. Monday morning.

Registered voters will see two measures from Washington County on their ballots; measure 34-300, which will alter how county commissioners and the chair are paid, and measure 34-301, which would do away with a restriction on passing land use ordinances for four months out of the year.

Ballot returns in Washington County as of 12 p.m. Friday, October 23 numbered 106,660, an amount representing about 27.7% of the total number of registered voters in the county, according to the Washington County elections office.

Ballot returns in Washington County as of 9:09 a.m. Thursday, October 22 numbered 73,803, an amount representing about 19.2% of the total number of registered voters in the county, according to the office of the Oregon Secretary of State. Read on for a party-by-party breakdown of those votes.

Another letter regarding the Oregon House District 32, which includes Banks, Gales Creek, Gaston, and the North Coast.

Oregon Ballot Measure 107 would change Oregon’s Constitution to limit campaign contributions both in cash contributions and service rendered for in-kind contributions.

Another tradition falls prey to the coronavirus pandemic, but families and children can still celebrate in style with a mini pumpkin and candy handout on Halloween at the Gales Creek School.

Another set of errors by the Washington County Elections department has been discovered in election materials, this time in the form of random “yes” and “no” statements placed in the explanation text of four statewide measures on the ballot.

Washington County's election department said that by Friday — two days after ballots were mailed — a total of 1,252 ballots had been returned. This, how a proofing error in the voters guide cost the county nearly $3,000, and more inside.

This week's installment of the Esther Lilly Hundley diaries: More calf selling, the Oregonian man comes around, and fishing is a success, just a few snapshots of life in Gales Creek in 1931.

Not one, not two, but NINE letters to the editor this week, with some in support of HD 32 candidate Suzanne Weber and some in support of HD 32 Debbie Boothe-Schmidt. Something on your mind? Instructions inside on how to submit your own letter

The official fire season ended today for the Northwest Oregon Forest Protective Association region, bringing to an official close a season unlike any other in recent history in Oregon.

In 2000, Oregon became the nation’s first-only all vote-by-mail state, but Oregonians have been voting by mail since the 1980s

To register or to make a change to your voter registration, visit and complete the online form at oregonvotes.gov/register before midnight on Tuesday, October 13; in person at the Washington County Elections office no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, or with a mailed form postmarked on or before October 13.

This week's installment of the Esther Lilly Hundley diaries: Charles sells three heifers to the Banks family that settled what would become the city of Banks, and the family pays more than $80 in taxes, just a few snapshots of life in Gales Creek in 1931.

Two letters to the editor have been submitted this week, each regarding the Oregon House of Representatives House District 32 race.

The Glenwood Store is open. Dubbed the “Glenwood Food Mart” by owners Robin and Kamal, the spot on the side of the Wilson River Highway in Glenwood has convenience fare, beer and wine, an ATM, and more.

An updated brief from the Oregon Legislative Fiscal Office originally released in May and re-released in September shows the state will spend $400 million of Education Stability Fund (ESF) money to pay for losses resulting from the COVID-19 shutdown.

This week's installment of the Esther Lilly Hundley diaries: No luck hunting, and the economic sting of the Great Depression is felt once again, just a few snapshots of life in Gales Creek in 1931.

Crews from Forest Grove, Banks and more are headed south to California to help firefighters there battle wildfires that have torched nearly four million acres.

An online survey released on Friday, October 2 by Washington County and Ride Connection Inc., a regional public transportation nonprofit, is asking for feedback on the county’s Transit Development Plan as it pertains to transit in rural Washington County.

Stagnant air — a soup of haze, smoke and fog — is settling in for the weekend and beyond as a strong inversion traps pollutants in the air, with the potential to cause breathing issues for those already suffering with respiratory problems, the National Weather Service says.

A letter to the editor in support of HD 32 candidate Suzanne Weber. Something on your mind? Send a letter to the editor at [email protected] with your name, address, and phone number (will not be published) on issues, news, and items of concern in the community. Please keep it between 100-350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, spelling, and punctuation errors.

This week's installment of the Esther Lilly Hundley diaries: Hunting yields a black bear, and a young Gales Creek girl is killed by her mother, just a few snapshots of life in Gales Creek in 1931.