Resident Budget Measure Trails in Portland Vote
Early returns show about 67% voting no, with most Multnomah County ballots still uncounted at release.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Civic Engagement
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Should Portland residents get a direct binding vote on how city money is spent?
Portland residents who backed a participatory budgeting plan saw it trail in early returns: about 33% voted yes on Measure 26-267 and about 67% voted no in preliminary results released Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Why it matters
The measure would have required the City Council to dedicate at least 2% of General Fund discretionary ongoing expenses to projects chosen by residents, a direct question about who steers city spending. Opponents have questioned whether the city can afford the commitment amid ongoing budget pressures and raised concerns about shifting money away from existing services, while the measure's supporters saw it as a way to bring residents into budget decisions; the question is settled for now by the preliminary count, though the final tally is still pending.
Preliminary results show about 33% of voters backing Measure 26-267 and about 67% opposing it, with only about 36% of ballots counted by 8 p.m. The city's estimate of roughly $16.4 million for fiscal 2027-28 is the figure the 2% spending floor would have turned into, and the funding source remains unidentified.
The players
Mayor Keith Wilson
Mayor of Portland, who opposes Measure 26-267.
Portland City Council
The city's elected council, which would have written the program's rules and overseen it had the measure passed.
The details
Measure 26-267, also called the "Your 2 Cents" initiative, would amend Portland's city charter to create a participatory budgeting program in which residents submit ideas for citywide or district-level projects. City staff and budget delegates would assess those proposals and narrow them to a limited number of feasible projects, and the City Council would write the program's rules and oversee it if the measure passed. Mayor Keith Wilson opposes the measure, and the preliminary count now shows it failing with roughly two-thirds of votes cast against.
Timeline
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: preliminary early results released showing the measure failing
Fiscal year 2027-28: projected start of funding for the program if the measure had been approved
Beyond the Bridges
Measure 26-267 would have written resident-led budgeting into Portland's city charter, a direct change to the document that sets out how the city governs itself. Its early failure, if the final count confirms it, would leave the existing council-driven budget process in place.
If the measure had passed, Portlanders would have been able to submit project ideas that the city would narrow and vote on, starting with the 2027-28 budget. With preliminary results showing it trailing, that participation route does not open, and the council's current budget process continues unchanged.
The takeaway
Keep an eye on the remaining Multnomah County ballots, since the final tally can still shift the result. If you want to follow how the city funds its priorities, watch the council's budget deliberations for fiscal year 2027-28.
What happens next
The final count of Multnomah County ballots still to be tallied will determine whether Measure 26-267 is ultimately defeated.
Further reading
For more on how residents take part in local decisions, see Civic Engagement coverage.
Live Poll
Should Portland residents get a direct binding vote on how city money is spent?
