Our voter guide will help you sort through candidates and issues. • Oregon Capital Chronicle

It is the crucial time for the 2024 general elections.

In about three weeks, the Oregon Secretary of State's office will mail out the first mail-in ballots, and about three weeks after that, state officials will announce the first results.

There is a lot at stake in this election: Americans will elect a new president and choose between two very different people with very different intentions. They will also decide who controls Congress by electing 34 U.S. senators and all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives are up for re-election.

How Oregonians vote could determine which party controls the House, with three competitive congressional races at stake. At the state level, Oregon voters will elect a new House of Representatives, vote on 15 Senate races, decide on five statewide ballot measures and elect a new secretary of state, attorney general and treasurer.

That's a lot to think about, but we've been working for weeks to help you sort it all out. Our newly released guide for nonpartisan voters covers the competitive congressional races – the 4th, 5th and 6th districts, which have drawn interest from Democrats and Republicans nationwide – and 12 competitive legislative districts, from the coast to the Portland region to Central Oregon.

The guide includes details about the offices, short biographies of the candidates and a look at their fundraising. Most importantly, we include candidates' responses to our questionnaires. They're definitely worth a read: Almost all candidates responded, and while many discussed the same issues troubling Oregon, including homelessness, drug addiction and the high cost of living, their answers reflect different approaches.

Our guide also features important dates, with perhaps the most important coming up in three weeks: October 15th. This is the last day to register to vote so you can make your voice heard.

We hope everyone will register and vote.

The guide will not be the final part of our campaign coverage. We will report on the candidates locally and are particularly interested in what voters have to say. We'll also cover emerging issues, important debates, and keep an eye on candidates' coffers. There's a lot of money flowing into this election, including from outside the state.

It's up to us journalists to help Oregonians stay informed. And it's up to you to participate in our democracy to keep it running.

So stay in touch and stay tuned.

We are here for you.