Incumbent Bill Burgess faces current and former employees in Marion County Clerk race

This is part of a series of stories on the candidates running in the May 21 primary election. Ballots will be mailed to voters May 1.

Long-time Marion County Clerk Bill Burgess is being challenged in the primary election by former county election worker Anna Munson and current clerk’s office employee Jo Anne Lepley.

If one candidate in the non-partisan election gets more than 50% of the vote, they advance as the only candidate in the November election. If none of the candidates secures more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote getters advance.

The non-partisan position has a four-year term.

Burgess was first elected county clerk in 2005 and has been re-elected five times. Previously, he worked as a pharmacy manager and was on the Salem City Council from 1990 to 1998.

Munson, who lives in Salem, retired after 32 years as an ultra sonographer. She spent six years – from 2016 to 2022 – working for the elections department with Marion County.

Lepley, who lives in Woodburn, worked as city recorder in Bandon from 2007 to 2010 before moving back to her home state of Maine. There, she was a town clerk in Berwick and Ogunquit before returning to Oregon. She has worked for the Marion County clerk’s office since 2022.

The Statesman Journal asked the three candidates the same questions about issues involving the Marion County Clerk position. This is what they had to say.

Why the candidates think they’re best suited for county clerk

Lepley said that her experience in government gives her a fresh perspective.

“I would bring in a new perspective and maybe a different way of looking at things than the current clerk,” Lepley said. “I know that I am qualified. I have the background in public administration.”

Munson has been involved in the community for years and said her experience in testifying about issues to the state legislature gives her a unique view.

“Coupled with my diligent study of the specific duties of the county clerk and ongoing discussions with county officials, I am not just prepared, I am proactively equipping myself with comprehensive knowledge and the means to bridge the gap between legislation and its local implementation,” Munson said.

Burgess, one of the longest serving county clerks in Oregon, said his experience and desire set him apart.

"And understanding, because of experience. Understanding the complexities of the office and what we’re up against in resolving all those issues," he said. "There’s a lot more to being a county clerk.”

What would you do to ensure election integrity?

Over the past four years, election integrity has been questioned across the country.

Burgess said he and his elections staff are "pretty law and regulations driven."

"I have got a team of hard-working, smart, persnickety people who want to get the job done right,” he said. “We’re always there trying to find the lost sheep, that one envelope or voter that had a problem and we try to address that.”

Munson said she would ensure the county’s processes are in line with best practices and that elections are regularly audited to ensure compliance with state laws.

“My goal is to establish a culture of trust where very voter feels their voice is heard and their vote is securely counted,” Munson said.

Lepley said allowing and encouraging the community to witness elections is an important part of ensuring elections are fair.

“And the election board workers that are trained to do that whole system of opening and separating the ballots and checking signatures and all of that, that helps maintain the integrity” Lepley said. “You can’t just vote someone’s ballot without getting caught.”

How would you combat disinformation about elections?

Munson said combatting disinformation begins with truth that is substantiated by facts and the law.

“My hands-on experience in ballot processing and comprehensive research on election systems provides a solid foundation to refute falsehoods accurately," she said. "I plan to leverage this knowledge, backed by ORS guidelines and State of Oregon manuals, to educate the public with reliable, well-rounded information.”

Lepley said combatting disinformation requires constant education of the public.

“When people call in and tell us that their dead spouse voted, we have to educate them on how that works,” Lepley said. “And sometimes we win them over and sometimes we don’t. We just have to keep putting the facts up there. If we keep putting the facts up there, hopefully they’ll listen.”

Burgess said people have raised questions about alleged illegal voting in the county.

“If people give us any addresses, we can say who’s registered there, No. 1, and who has actually returned a ballot, No. 2. And when we look into these things, there’s always an explanation,” Burgess said.

“There are all sorts of things that we do and we’re transparent about it," he said. "Anybody can come in with the address that they think are a problem.”

What would be your priorities be during the four-year term?

Lepley said if she is elected she will ensure the office has a set schedule and create online scheduling for people to make appointments.

“I want people to be able to come in and be able to get whatever they have listed, like passports, (which) aren’t being done right now,” Lepley said.

Munson said she would work on educational initiatives, including collaborating with schools to integrate civics into curriculum.

“My foremost priority is to reaffirm each citizen’s confidence in their right to vote — their fundamental democratic voice,” Munson said. “In practical terms, this means proactively engaging in dialogues, being present in the community, and facilitating an inclusive election process.”

Burgess said that the county clerk’s office handles a number of tasks from managing the county archives to property tax appeals and he would continue to ensure all of those are operating for the public.

“My priorities are to continue to provide transparent and safe secure audited elections,” he said. “That’s one of my priorities. Another one is to communicate to people what we’re about and how we do things and to answer any questions that come along. When you say safe and secure, there’s a lot to safe and secure a whole bunch to safe and secure.”

Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Bill Burgess in Marion County Clerk race against two challengers