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Establishing Portland’s four new geographic districts
In January 2023, the Independent District Commission was appointed and tasked with establishing four geographic districts for the November 2024 election.
On June 1, 2023, the IDC released a draft district plan with three maps (named Alder, Cedar, and Maple) and took public comment on these draft plans until July 22, 2023. To engage Portlanders with the draft maps, they also hosted a series of hearings across the city, with two public hearings in each proposed district and one virtual hearing online.
After hearing from Portlanders, the commission reconvened in August 2023 and adopted a final district map. Three city council members will represent each new district beginning in January 2025. Portlanders can look up their district at Portland Maps by entering their address in the search bar or call 3-1-1 for assistance.
What do the district numbers mean?
The charter states that all of Portland’s elected positions will be up for election in 2024. The mayor and city council members from districts one and two will run for four-year terms; the city auditor and council members from districts three and four will run for initial two-year terms, followed by four-year terms in 2026. This allows the elections to be staggered and aligns districts with historically lower voter turn out with the presidential election, when participation is higher.
Read more about the districting process in the IDC’s final report or visit the districts page.
Implementing ranked-choice voting
In November 2024, Portland voters will elect representatives by ranked choice voting. The biggest change they will experience is the ability to rank candidates in order of preference for all city elections. Ballots will still be received by mail and can be returned by mail or ballot drop box.
Candidates will be listed in a grid and voters will rank up to six candidates for each contest. Portlanders will vote in three contests: mayor, auditor and their district-based councilor. Each district will be represented by three councilors elected by proportional ranked choice voting.
Learn more about ranked-choice voting or watch videos explaining the process.
Working with partners to enable ranked-choice voting
From December 2022 – February 2023, the City of Portland and Multnomah County researched and developed necessary code changes to enable ranked-choice voting. The City’s Elections code was then amended in April 2023. Now, the teams are planning voter and candidate education for the November 2024 election. The City is also working with Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas counties to make the transition to ranked-choice voting.
Stay updated on candidate and voter education efforts by checking the Elections Office’s website at portland.gov/elections.