This is a reminder about the May 20 special election for Umatilla County.

A special election is an election to fill the positions and terms for the special districts within the county.

You are encouraged to participate in this election as a potential candidate, before March 20. Reminder, the last day to register to vote is April 29.

You are also encouraged to visit the Umatilla County Elections Department online or in person to familiarize yourself with the responsibilities and duties of the department. Find out if you’re an eligible voter.

Umatilla County has a big problem with ballots with missing or mismatched signatures on the ballot envelopes, which cannot be counted in the election; until you, as a citizen, take the initiative to correct your signature problem. The election department notifies you within three days by mail to alert you that you have a problem regarding your signature.

As a registered voter, you can check your signature on file, to make sure it is matching your current signature style. If your signature has changed, you should update your signature on record by reregistering to vote using a paper application.

The election department offers several ways to vote even if you can’t sign your name. One way is called the signature stamp by a disabled elector. For purposes of this rule, “signature stamp or other indicator” means a device capable of printing a representation of a person’s signature on a document. Any voter who is unable, because of a disability, to sign the person’s name by hand may use a signature stamp. You will fill out a form at the county elections department, which states you are a registered voter, with a signature disability.

If you even think that just one vote in a sea of millions cannot make much of a difference, consider yourself wrong

Kathy Wilson

Umatilla County Republican Party

Pendleton