The Fact Book

A journalists’ guide to city government reform

In November 2022 Portlanders voted to pass a historic proposal to reform the city government. Many voters rely on media coverage to understand what is on their ballot, so in the months before the election we (the research team at North Star Civic Foundation) developed this Fact Book as a resource for journalists in their coverage of the proposal.

Though the election is over and the proposal passed, the work continues. As the city implements the voter approved changes we will continue to post updates and new research to the Fact Book to support journalistic coverage of Portland’s transition to a new form of government.

Journalists and interested community members are encouraged to sign up for email alerts for updates below. (And feel free to tell us what content you’re seeking!)

We scoured academic papers, analysis of voter and candidate behaviors in elections around the U.S. and the globe, and compiled a glossary of terms.

Our standard is simple: We only share information for which we can find independent and impartial sources, and we’re partial to sources that rely on peer review or publicly accessible datasets.

The Sections

  • Role of the Mayor

    Learn about the Mayor’s role in Portland’s new government structure.


    See data for this topic.

  • Role of City Council

    Learn about how the size, role and duties of the City Council will change under Portland’s new system.


    See data for this topic.

  • Ranked Choice Voting

    Learn about Portland’s new Ranked Choice Voting system.


    See data for this topic.

  • Glossary

    This glossary of terms may help you to provide clear and accessible descriptions of the changes and impacts of Portland’s new system of government.


    Visit the Glossary.

  • Blog

    Check out recent updates to our research, including how the new voting system interacts with the Voting Rights Act, and more.

    See all blog posts.