Portland Elections Commission Reports on Small Donor Elections Performance and Recommendations

After each election cycle , the Portland Elections Commission is uses qualitative and quantitative data to analyze the program’s performance, publishes a report detailing it, and makes recommendations on how to update the program to stay aligned with a constantly changing campaign finance landscape and continually improve the program to help create the healthiest democracy for Portland. 

The Portland Elections Commission members consider what the program did well, where it could improve, and the overall impact that small donor matching had on our democracy. They analyze user experience research as well as campaign finance data and the program's experience implementing during that election cycle. Informed by this, the Portland Elections Commission makes recommendations on how to improve the program, including recommendations to City Council to update the code but also changes to program Administrative Rules and internal policies and practices. 

2024 REPORT

The Portland Elections Commission’s 2024 report is available to the public. You can read it by clicking here: 

2022 REPORT

The Portland Elections Commission’s 2022 report is available to the public. You can read it by clicking here: 

2020 REPORTS

In December 2021, the Open and Accountable Elections program’s name was changed to Small Donor Elections, and the Open and Accountable Elections Commission was changed to the Portland Elections Commission. 

Portland Elections Commission Report

The 2020 elections were the Small Donor Elections program’s first election cycle. After the election cycle ended, the Portland Elections Commission reviewed the program’s performance. It considered what the program did well, where it could improve, and the overall impact that small donor matching had on our democracy. 

The Portland Elections Commission’s report is available to the public. You can read it by clicking here:

Download PDF file PEC Report on the 2020 Elections (936.59 Kb)

User Experience Report

Given that it was the program's first election cycle, the Small Donor Election program worked with a user experience researcher to release a User Experience Report. SDE staff conducted in-depth interviews with both participating and non-participating candidates, campaign staff, treasurers, community organizations, contributors, and members of the public who engaged with the program. The goal was to gain a clear picture of how the program worked for our community. We asked for direct and unvarnished feedback. We believe that the best way to improve our program is to listen to the communities that use it. The Portland Elections Commission incorporated much of the feedback that it received into the changes that it recommended to the program.

The User Experience Report is also available to the public, and can be viewed by clicking here:

Download PDF file 2021 User Research Report (364.49 Kb)