![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.cec.coop\/wp-content\/uploads\/markham1-1.jpg\")
Election Day this year will be quiet, with voter decisions limited to local issues and candidates. This relatively peaceful period can give the impression not much is hap\u00adpening. However, this is far from true. Multiple issues are continually brewing at both the state and national levels that could affect members of Central Electric and Oregon\u2019s 17 other electric cooperatives.<\/p>\n
As we track these issues and try to affect their outcome, there are key times when our members\u2019 influence is critical. This is where your membership in ORECA\u00ad-Action comes in. As a member of the Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association, we created the grassroots network earlier this year to provide
\na structure to keep our members informed and enlist them as allies.<\/p>\n
It is my responsibility to work with ORECA to track issues, build and maintain relationships with officials, keep you informed and at decisive moments reach out to ask you to communicate with officials. That final step can sometimes be the most important. As noted in a recent study by the Congressional Management Foundation, 79 percent of the Congressional staff surveyed believe that personal stories from con\u00adstituents related to a bill or issue are helpful in shaping their opinions on issues.<\/p>\n
We are asking for your help. Join approximately 700 CEC members and 2,200 members of the other Oregon electric co\u00adops and enroll in ORECA\u00ad-Action by going to www.oreca\u00ad-action.org<\/a>. At 2,900 and growing, we are building the numbers that will ensure rural Oregonians are heard.<\/p>\nJoin Now, Get a Free Energy-Efficiency Kit<\/h2>\n