As Multnomah County prepares for its first countywide ranked choice voting (RCV) election in 2026, officials have launched a new $100,000 grant program to support nonpartisan voter education efforts in East County.
Tthe 2026 Multnomah County Voter Education Fund will award up to five grants of $20,000 each to community-based organizations. The goal is to help East County residents understand how RCV works and feel confident using the new system ahead of the November 2026 election.
“The introduction of ranked choice voting countywide represents an important change in how Multnomah County residents will cast their ballots,” said Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott. “While Portland voters have experience with RCV, our goal is to ensure every potential voter in East Multnomah County has the knowledge and confidence to cast their ballot. This grant program is key to achieving that goal working through trusted community partners.”
The effort builds on the successful implementation of RCV in Portland’s 2024 city election. Under the new system, voters will rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting just one.
Multnomah County voters approved a 2022 ballot measure requiring the use of RCV for all candidate contests in both Portland and the county. The City of Portland rolled out the change first during the 2024 general election. Multnomah County will adopt RCV for the 2026 election cycle.
The newly launched grant program is focused specifically on East Multnomah County, an area that includes diverse and often underserved communities. The county aims to reach voters through culturally and linguistically appropriate education delivered by trusted local organizations.
To be eligible, applicants must be 501(c)(3) community-based organizations that serve East County residents. Organizations are not required to have prior experience with voter education or ranked choice voting; comprehensive training and educational materials will be provided by the Multnomah County Elections Division.
Priority will be given to organizations with a proven track record of effective outreach and engagement in the region.
Grants may fund a variety of outreach efforts, including:
• Direct voter contact, such as canvassing or phone and text banking
• Distribution of printed or digital RCV educational materials
• Hosting in-person community information sessions
• Social media campaigns or member emails
• “Train the Trainer” events for staff and volunteers
County officials emphasized that the intent is to build capacity among community groups so that voter education is timely, accurate, and resonates with local audiences.
The grant application window opens Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, and closes Monday, March 16, 2026. Interested organizations must be registered as suppliers in Multco Marketplace (MMP), the county’s procurement platform. Because registration processing can take up to three business days, applicants are encouraged to begin the process immediately.
Additional details, including registration instructions and the application form, are available at multco.us/info/voter-education-grant
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RCV is gaining momentum nationwide as a way to promote majority support, reduce strategic voting, and improve voter choice. In this system, voters can rank candidates in order of preference—first, second, third, and so on. If no candidate earns a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and ballots for that candidate are redistributed to the next choice listed by those voters. This process continues until a candidate has a majority.
Multnomah County Elections staff said that while the method is straightforward once understood, early outreach is crucial to minimizing voter confusion and building trust in the system.
