PORTLAND, Ore. -- Oregon voters conducting the nation's first vote-by-mail primary used the occasion to reject five out of six ballot measures and choose candidates for Congress, secretary of state, treasurer and the Legislature.
The landmark effort was intended to increase voter turnout in a state primary held too late to affect presidential nominations and one without a gubernatorial race this year. As expected, Al Gore and George W. Bush easily won their parties' endorsements.The bigger story Tuesday was the use of all mail ballots for the first time in a regular primary election.
Among the propositions defeated Tuesday were ones that would have allowed lawmakers to place limits on how much money people could receive in personal-injury lawsuits and a proposed nickel-a-gallon gasoline tax increase to pay for road repairs.
The most hotly contested race was between "the battling Lynns" -- two Republicans who want to run against incumbent Secretary of State Bill Bradbury in November.
The race was too close to call early Wednesday. With 67 percent of the vote counted, House Speaker Lynn Snodgrass was leading State Rep. Lynn Lundquist 48 percent to 45 percent. Bradbury is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
In a race to see who would face Democratic incumbent David Wu in Oregon's 1st Congressional District, state Sen. Charles Starr defeated former Lake Oswego Mayor Alice Schlenker 62 percent to 38 percent. Wu ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
Late Tuesday, the secretary of state's office estimated voter turnout at 47 percent, which would be the highest since the 1992 primary, which had a turnout of 49.1 percent.
Since the early 1980s, Oregon residents have voted by mail in local elections and special statewide elections. This was the first all-mail, regularly scheduled election.
Two years ago, Oregonians voted to abolish the traditional polling place in all statewide elections in favor of the mail ballot. Supporters say it's cheaper and more convenient.
Ballots were mailed to voters' households on April 28 and had to be returned to local election offices by 8 p.m. Tuesday to be counted.
Colleen Vala, a 27-year-old day care teacher, said she didn't miss traditional polling places.
"We all sat around at the kitchen table last night and filled out our ballots together," Vala said Tuesday. "It was better that way, because we were able to discuss the issues and debate them."
Measure 81, a proposal that would have allowed state lawmakers to cap the amount of money people can receive in personal-injury lawsuits, was rejected by about a 3-to-1 margin.
"It's wonderful. The voters of Oregon saw that this was an attack on their right to a trial by jury," said Arwen Bird, spokeswoman for a coalition that campaigned against Measure 81.
The proposed gas tax increase was drubbed by an even larger margin. In fact, the only one of the six measures put on the ballot by the Legislature to pass gives the secretary of state more time to verify petition signatures for initiative and referendum measures.
On the Net: Oregon Secretary of State: www.sos.state.or.us