Knowing what it's like
Jon experienced homelessness at 19. He worked his way back, and that experience is why he has spent years helping others find and keep stable housing.
The path here
- RootsGrew up in Central Oregon. This is home, and it is where he has built his work and his family.
- Job Corps → the firelineWildland firefighter. Went from Job Corps to the fireline and led physical training for his crew on Engine 335. Hard work, long days and looking out for each other.
- Building and housingConstruction and property management. Maintenance, repairs, move-ins, resident events, and connecting residents with assistance when they needed it.
- BusinessSmall-business owner. Runs his own local businesses and helps Central Oregon business owners move from costly hard-money loans to traditional lines of credit so they can grow.
- 2024Ran for Bend City Council. Stepped up to serve the city he grew up around.
- 2026Candidate for Deschutes County Clerk. Bringing a practical, people-first approach to elections and public records.
What drives him
Learning to be understood
After 19 years of speech therapy, Jon speaks up in public, meets voters face to face and runs for office. He doesn't quit when something is hard.
For the Clerk's office
- Secure and transparent electionsEvery voter should be able to trust how their ballot is handled and counted.
- Easier digital accessPublic records and licensing that residents can reach online without the runaround.
- Clear, responsive communicationStraight answers for every resident, in plain language.
Priorities from his statement in the Deschutes County voters' pamphlet.
By the numbers
162,718registered voters in Deschutes County for the November 2024 general election [County results]
128,586ballots cast in that election, a 79% turnout [County results]
About 4%of ballots get challenged each election for a missing or mismatched signature, according to the current County Clerk. In an election like November 2024, that's roughly 5,000 ballots (our estimate). [KTVZ]
294ballots flagged for signatures that didn't match in the May 2025 election, out of about 37,000 checked. [Audit report, p. 39]
21 daysis all a voter gets after Election Day to fix a challenged signature. Miss it, and the ballot isn't counted. [ORS 254.431]
Inactiveis what Oregon law makes your voter registration if a signature mismatch isn't fixed in time. [ORS 254.431]
Thousands of ballots a year depend on a letter in the mail reaching the voter in time. Jon wants every one of those voters to get a call, a text and an email, not just a letter, so honest votes aren't lost to a paperwork problem.
Sources: Deschutes County results, Nov 5, 2024 · KTVZ, April 23, 2026 · ORS 254.431. The 5,000 figure is an estimate (4% of ballots cast).
Setting the record straight
The Bulletin has made false claims against me.
Jonathan Curtis
An independent Clerk
Where Jon stands
I am running as an independent. I was once registered as a Republican, and I am not a Democrat. I chose to stand apart from both parties because the County Clerk serves every voter equally.
Elections belong to the people, not to any party. As your Clerk, I will not take direction from any political party, I will not make decisions behind closed doors, and I will do this work openly, where every resident can see it.
I believe in making Deschutes County a safe and fair place for everyone who lives here. That starts with elections every voter can trust.
Jonathan Curtis
My ballot never came
Jon's story
In the May 2026 primary, my ballot never came. Now I'm running for the office that mails them out.
Since then, many people across the county have told me the same thing happened to them. In a vote-by-mail state, a ballot that never arrives is a vote that never gets cast.
As Clerk, I'll track every ballot packet from the printer to your mailbox, publish how many come back undelivered after every election, and make it fast and simple to get a replacement.
Jonathan Curtis
Voters made inactive
Voters have come to me upset that their registration was made inactive over a signature that they say looks the same as always. Under Oregon law, if a signature challenge isn't cleared within 21 days, the voter goes inactive. Some told me they only found out when their next ballot didn't come.
As Clerk, no one goes inactive over a signature without a phone call, a text and an email first, not just one letter. Every challenged signature gets a second look from a different staff member, and I'll publish how many voters were made inactive after every election and why.
Jonathan Curtis
Didn't get your ballot for November 3? Check its status on Oregon's My Vote page and ask the Deschutes County Clerk's office for a replacement.
What the county's own auditor found
Deschutes County has an independent internal auditor. Twice in the last two years, that auditor has reviewed the Clerk's office under current Clerk Steve Dennison. Here is what the reports say.
2025 elections audit · updated November 3, 2025
- Refused to let the auditor check ballot-counting security. The report says the Clerk "refused to discuss or provide any information" about the Clear Ballot vote-counting system, including the election security plan required by state law, staff training records, and a basic security checklist. As a result, the auditor could not "provide assurance that the system is secure." [Audit report, p. 7–9]
- County rules require access. County code requires every county officer to give the auditor "unrestricted access" to information. The auditor found that state law does not stop the Clerk from sharing this with auditors, and that the lack of any legal reason "suggests a lack of valid grounds for refusal." [Audit report, p. 9]
- Drop boxes that don't meet disability standards. 7 of the county's 11 ballot drop boxes had openings higher than the 48-inch limit, and 4 had pavement gaps wider than half an inch. Staff did not check the boxes against disability-access standards and had no plan to fix them. [Audit report, p. 12–13]
- No help info on the website. The auditor found the Clerk's website had no information about voting accommodations for people with disabilities or about translation help. Disability advocates said there wasn't enough awareness. [Audit report, p. 20–21]
- Fought the report instead of fixing it. The Clerk called the audit "misinformation and false narratives" and called for "auditing reforms." He held back his full response until after the report was published. The auditor said his response was "surprising" and showed "a significant gap in understanding of the purpose of the audit function." [Audit report, p. cover, 22, 24]
- Tried to get past problems taken out. The Clerk asked the auditor to remove a paragraph about the 2024 audit's security problems. The auditor refused. [Audit report, p. 35]
2024 Clerk's office audit · June 2024
- Shared logins. Staff shared logins because logging in and out "took too much time," and the office used a generic shared account. [County audit] [Audit report, p. 8]
- Security controls switched off. According to the 2025 audit report, office staff turned off supervisor review in the office's software "to make it easier to void receipts and to circumvent review processes." [Audit report, p. 8] [2024 audit]
- Loose money controls. Cash-handling procedures were incomplete, purchasing rules weren't followed consistently, and a county purchasing card wasn't secured. [County audit]
- Slow to fix. The audit made 13 recommendations. Nine months later, the office still had not done the fraud risk assessment the auditor recommended or fixed its purchasing problems. Four recommendations remain open. [County audit]
Other problems on his watch
- Ballots mailed in another county's envelopes. For the May 2024 primary, some Deschutes ballot packets went out in Benton County envelopes. [KTVZ]
- Ballots sent to people who had died. Central Oregon residents reported getting ballots addressed to deceased voters. The Clerk admitted "some names may slip through the cracks." [KBND]
- 12 non-citizens on Deschutes voter rolls. In 2024, 12 people in Deschutes County who are not U.S. citizens were found registered to vote. The error started at the state DMV and passed through the Secretary of State to the county. The Clerk said none of the 12 had voted, and they were taken off the active rolls. Jon believes the county should catch errors like this itself, not wait for the state to find them. [The Bulletin] [KBND]
Jon's promise: if the auditor asks, the auditor gets answers. Every audit recommendation gets a public plan and a finish date.
Jon's own audit: This year, Jon is doing his own independent audit of the Clerk's office, using public records and by watching ballot processing, to make sure Steve Dennison is not committing fraud. He's going to make sure of it, and he'll post what he finds, good or bad.
Full sources: 2025 elections audit · 2024 Clerk's office audit · The Bulletin, Nov 5, 2025 · All Clerk's office audits. Audit status as listed by Deschutes County as of October 2026.
Every ballot accounted for
A note from Jon
On the fireline, nobody takes your word for it. You check the line, you check your crew, and you check again. That's how I'll run the Clerk's office.
Your vote is yours. When you drop your ballot in the box, you should know exactly what happens next, who touches it, and how it gets counted. You shouldn't have to take anyone's word for it. You should be able to see it for yourself.
Here is what I'll do:
- Open the doors. Ballot processing on camera and online, and a standing welcome to observers from every party and from no party at all.
- Show the math. After every election, post in plain language how many ballots came in, how many were counted, and why any were set aside, so the numbers add up where anyone can check them.
- Back every count with an audit. Make the hand-count audits easy to follow, with results posted where voters can find them.
- Keep the rolls clean. Keep voter lists current under Oregon law so every eligible voter is on them and nobody who shouldn't be is.
- Protect every honest vote. If there's a problem with your signature, you'll hear about it fast and get a fair chance to fix it, so your ballot doesn't get lost.
- Zero tolerance for cheating. Anyone who tries to vote illegally or tamper with a ballot gets reported to law enforcement. No exceptions, no matter who they are.
- Answer every question. Every resident who calls or writes gets a real answer from a real person.
Trust comes from being able to check. I want Deschutes County to have the most open, easy-to-understand elections in Oregon, and records and licenses you can get online without the runaround.
Jonathan Curtis
Voter questions
Who is running for Deschutes County Clerk in 2026?
Two candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Deschutes County Clerk, a nonpartisan office: Jonathan Curtis and the current Clerk, Steve Dennison. [County election page]
Who is Jonathan Curtis?
Jonathan Curtis is a candidate for Deschutes County Clerk from Bend, Oregon. He grew up in Central Oregon, worked as a wildland firefighter and in construction and property management, and runs his own small businesses. He ran for Bend City Council in 2024.
What does the Deschutes County Clerk do?
The Clerk runs every election in Deschutes County and keeps the county's public records. The office records property transactions, issues marriage licenses, archives and stores records, supports the Board of Property Tax Appeals and accepts passport applications. It is an elected office, and the next term starts in January 2027. [County]
What would Jonathan Curtis change as Clerk?
Ballot processing on camera and online, plain-language vote counts after every election, easy-to-follow audits, a call, text and email before any voter goes inactive over a signature, tracking every ballot packet from the printer to the mailbox, and a public plan for every audit recommendation. Read his full pledge.
What are the 2026 election deadlines in Deschutes County?
- October 13: last day to register to vote
- October 14: ballots mailed to voters
- October 16: county drop boxes open
- November 3: Election Day. Drop boxes close at 8 p.m. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by November 3, and mailing by October 27 is safest.
Sources: Deschutes County · Oregon Secretary of State
My ballot didn't come. What do I do?
Check your registration and ballot status on Oregon's My Vote page, then ask the Deschutes County Clerk's office for a replacement ballot.
Vote November 3
Ballots go out in mid-October. Make sure you're registered and your address is up to date, then vote Jonathan Curtis for Deschutes County Clerk.
Register / checkOregon voter registration (deadline Oct 13)
Election infoDeschutes County: Nov 3, 2026 election