One case is continuity: professional administration and wider voter access. The other would replace machine tabulation with hand counting. The factual premise behind changing the counting system deserves scrutiny.
Draft; human review pending.
Key
Said
A campaign statement, in our summary or their words.
Voted
A recorded Council roll call.
— Not found
Not in the sources we reviewed. A research gap, not a position.
Advocates hand counting ballots, local voter-roll checks and watermarked ballots.
—not found in the sources we reviewed
—not found in the sources we reviewed
Replaces machine tabulation with hand counting, which he says costs less.
—not found in the sources we reviewed
Summaries are our one-line readings of what each candidate says. Issue lines are short forms of the positions in each brief, AI-drafted and awaiting human review; “—” means not found in the sources we reviewed.
Four votes that split this Council
No candidate in this race sits on Council today.
— Not foundNo featured votes are selected for this race yet.
Candidate briefs, A–Z
Clerk candidate · Clackamas County · November 3, 2026
Catherine McMullen
Incumbent clerk; elections administrator and former public librarian.
Photo: Candidate-submitted photo · 2026 Clackamas County voters’ pamphlet
In their words
Said: Clerk McMullen is a nonpartisan, nationally recognized elections official. She has devoted her career to public service; conducting 25 elections since 2015, nine for Clackamas County.
Pamphlet p. 14
Candidate statement · November 2026 edition; extracted September 21, 2026
Skipped the “Re-elect …” heading, a quotation attributed to a former Secretary of State and the “ACCOUNTABLE • FAIR • EXPERIENCED” slogan; first sentence is under 12 words, so two are given. Verbatim opening of the candidate's own statement; publication by the county does not verify the claims.
The verbatim opening of their voters’ pamphlet statement, the same rule for every candidate. We chose nothing.
What they say they would do
Our summary of their platform, in our words
Emphasizes election security, accessible services and transparent administration.
Maintain voter records and secure ballot processes.
Expand voter education, access and public observation.
Provide affordable and convenient records and marriage services.
Our reading
Our interpretation, not their words
Election security
Voter access
Her case is continuity: the office she runs now, run the same way. The performance figures in the statement (timely results, 50,000 ballot-tracking subscribers, 465 weddings) are the campaign’s own numbers.
— Not foundNot found in the sources we reviewed. That is a research gap, not a position.
Crisis care, jail and deflection
— Not foundNot found in the sources we reviewed. That is a research gap, not a position.
Taxes and the budget gap
Affordable clerk fees
What
Said: Would keep marriage licenses and property recording cost-effective and hold convenient weekday hours for records and marriage services.
How
— Not in their sources
Measured by
— Not in their sources
Roads, bridges and air
— Not foundNot found in the sources we reviewed. That is a research gap, not a position.
The choices this office faces
Every candidate in this race is asked the same 3 questions. Catherine McMullen is on record on 2, with 1 still open. A question without an answer is a research gap, not a position.
No answer we could find
Add watermarks to ballots to prove they are genuine?
Nothing on this exact choice in the sources we reviewed.
On record
Hand-count every ballot instead of machine tabulation?
Said: Says she replaced aging equipment, secured ballot processes, trained staff and delivered timely, accurate results; hand counting itself is unsaid.
On the topic; the exact choice is unsaid.
Run county-level purges of voters who have moved or died, beyond the state's list maintenance?
Said: Says she increased voter-registration staffing, ensured eligible citizens can access ballots and kept records current and accurate; a county-level purge beyond state maintenance is unsaid.
What independent measures show accuracy, accessibility and timely results?
Sources (2)
Clackamas County voters’ pamphlet · PDF page 14Candidate statement · November 2026 edition; reviewed September 18, 2026Written by the candidate or campaign. Publication by the county does not verify the claims.
McMullen · prioritiesCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.
Clerk candidate · Clackamas County · November 3, 2026
Mark Reaksecker
Retired dentist and former dental-practice owner.
Photo: Candidate-submitted photo · 2026 Clackamas County voters’ pamphlet
In their words
Said: Mark is a 3rd generation Oregonian, whose grandfather was sheriff of Clackamas County.
Pamphlet p. 14
Candidate statement · November 2026 edition; extracted September 21, 2026
Nothing skipped: the statement opens with running prose. Verbatim opening of the candidate's own statement; publication by the county does not verify the claims.
The verbatim opening of their voters’ pamphlet statement, the same rule for every candidate. We chose nothing.
What they say they would do
Our summary of their platform, in our words
Advocates hand counting ballots, local voter-roll checks and watermarked ballots.
Replace machine tabulation with hand counting.
Verify voter rolls at the county level.
Use watermarks to authenticate ballots.
Our reading
Our interpretation, not their words
Hand-counted ballots
Local voter-roll checks
The case turns on a factual premise about machine counting that the Secretary of State’s description of Oregon’s paper-ballot system and hand-count audits does not support; the staffing and cost of a countywide hand count are not estimated.
— Not foundNot found in the sources we reviewed. That is a research gap, not a position.
Crisis care, jail and deflection
— Not foundNot found in the sources we reviewed. That is a research gap, not a position.
Taxes and the budget gap
Hand counts, no tabulators
What
Said: Would replace machine tabulation with hand counting, which he says costs less than buying tabulating machines, and add watermarked ballots.
How
— Not in their sources
Measured by
— Not in their sources
Roads, bridges and air
— Not foundNot found in the sources we reviewed. That is a research gap, not a position.
The choices this office faces
Every candidate in this race is asked the same 3 questions. Mark Reaksecker is on record on 3. A question without an answer is a research gap, not a position.
On record
Hand-count every ballot instead of machine tabulation?
Said: Would hand-count ballots, calling it simple, accurate, expedient and cheaper than tabulating machines, with a provable paper trail.
Run county-level purges of voters who have moved or died, beyond the state's list maintenance?
Said: Would verify voter rolls at the county level, removing people who have moved or died so only Clackamas County citizens vote in local elections.
Add watermarks to ballots to prove they are genuine?
Said: Would watermark ballots so the clerk's office can tell genuine ballots from fraudulent ones.
The Secretary of State describes Oregon’s paper-ballot system, isolated tabulation equipment, testing and post-election hand-count audits. This contradicts the premise that machine counting inherently eliminates a paper trail.
What evidence supports replacing the current system, and what would staffing, accuracy testing and certification compliance cost?
Sources (3)
Clackamas County voters’ pamphlet · PDF page 14Candidate statement · November 2026 edition; reviewed September 18, 2026Written by the candidate or campaign. Publication by the county does not verify the claims.
Reaksecker · solutionsCandidate statement · Website reviewed September 21, 2026Campaign position. Claimed results and numerical premises have not automatically been independently verified.
