may 2026 Switchboard

What is the switchboard?

The Switchboard is a centralized intake process for candidates running for office in Oregon in the May 2026 election. The Switchboard is designed to facilitate the endorsement process for candidates and endorsing organizations by:

• Centralizing basic information about candidates for endorsing organizations

• Reducing duplicative questions across organizations’ endorsement questionnaires and

• Allowing endorsing organizations to focus their questionnaires on key issues and policy priorities for their communities.

How does it work?

1. Candidates and their campaigns complete the Switchboard questions with information about the candidate, campaign and platform.

2. Answers from the Switchboard are then provided to participating endorsing organizations to supplement their endorsement processes. 

The Switchboard is a first step for participating organizations’ endorsement processes. Participating organizations may still have additional questions and steps outside of the Switchboard as part of their endorsement process. Please note that completing the Switchboard does not automatically include you in an organization’s endorsement application. It is the candidate’s responsibility to reach out to each participating organization to start and complete their endorsement process.

Why should candidates complete the questionnaire?

Typically, candidates are required to answer different versions of similar questions across multiple endorsement questionnaires. This process is onerous, time-intensive and difficult to track. 

Oregon Futures Lab is working with participating endorsing organizations to reduce the burden on candidates by removing questions from their questionnaires that could be collected through the Switchboard. By answering these questions through the Switchboard, candidates can save time answering repetitive questions on different questionnaires. 

How do I fill out the Switchboard?

You can review the Switchboard questions here before filling out the application.

The Switchboard is a first step for participating organizations’ endorsement processes. Candidates are still responsible for tracking each organization’s endorsement process and completing their questionnaires in addition to the Switchboard. If you have questions about an organization’s endorsement process, please reach out to that organization directly.