Jonathan Curtis Stories

I grew up with eight siblings. When people hear that, the first question is usually some version of "how did that even work?" Honestly, I think growing up in a family that big shaped me in ways I'm still noticing. You're never the only one who matters In a family of nine kids, the world doesn't revolve around you. There are always other people with their own needs, their own plans and their own bad days. You learn to share. You learn to wait. And you learn that taking care of each other is just part of life. I think that's a big reason I've always been drawn to work that's about other people. On a fire crew, everybody depends on everybody. In property management, the job wasn't the buildings. It was the residents. Leading a sales team, my job was to help other people succeed. Now I'm the parent Today I'm a father myself, and being a dad has become the most important part of who I am. I'm a family man. My favorite days are simple o...

As Steve Dennison took over as Deschutes County Clerk in the summer of 2021, the county's internal auditor reviewed the office. One recommendation: write proper contracts, and contract renewals, with the office's significant vendors. Three years later The county's 2024 audit of the Clerk's Office found the office paid more than $300,000 to its five largest vendors in fiscal year 2023, and didn't consistently follow county purchasing rules. Here's what the audit found for each one: Ballot printing, $171,468: no contract, and no required signature for an amount over $50,000. (County code exempts ballot paper from competitive bidding.) Mailing, $49,715: no contract and no competitive bidding. Envelope printing, $40,244: no contract and no competitive bidding. Ballot counting software, $40,734: done right, with a contract, bidding and a signature. Ballot sorter service, $36,398: done right too. The auditor called purchases without contracts "a lo...

In 2025, Deschutes County's own internal auditor reviewed how our elections are run. One goal was to check the security of Clear Ballot, the software the Clerk's Office uses to count votes. That part of the audit never happened. The report says the Clerk "refused to provide auditors with information about information security" for the vote-counting software. According to the report, the Clerk would not discuss or provide the election security plan required by state law, IT security procedures, staff security training records, or a review and demonstration of the system. Because of that, the auditor could not reach a conclusion about the software's security, could not say whether the system is secure, and could not recommend improvements. The Clerk's side In a written response printed in the report, Clerk Steve Dennison's office says state law, a state rule and a Secretary of State directive require the election security plan to be kept confidential. Th...

Deschutes County's own internal auditor checked the county's 11 ballot drop boxes against federal disability-access standards. The boxes met most of the standards, but seven of the 11 had openings higher than the 48-inch limit, the height meant to keep them within reach for people using wheelchairs. Four had gaps in the pavement wider than half an inch, which can catch a wheel or a cane. The audit found that staff inspected the boxes before and during elections but didn't check them against those disability standards, and had no plan to fix the height and pavement problems. The auditor recommended two things: inspect the boxes regularly against disability standards, and make a plan to fix the ones that fall short. The Clerk's side According to the report, the Clerk argued that disability standards didn't apply to some boxes because they are drive-up structures. The auditor wrote that either way, the height and pavement problems "created a tangible barrier to...

Around July 2025, the City of Bend put up four Flock license-plate reader cameras, two on the north end of town and two on the south end. The contract cost about $20,000 a year, and it didn't need a City Council vote. Most people in Bend didn't get a say until January 7, 2026, when residents packed the council chambers to object. They asked the questions that should have been answered before the first camera went up: How long is the data kept? Who can see it? What happens if it's hacked or misused? Councilor Ariel Méndez raised serious concerns about the company's security practices. The council listened, and that part deserves credit. The next afternoon the cameras were turned off. The contract won't be renewed, and the cameras are coming down. The problem is the order things happened in For about six months, cameras recorded where Bend drivers went before the public had any of those answers. Data about where residents drive belongs to the people of this city, ...

Every voter in Oregon has the right to get help voting. Here's what's available for the November 3 election, taken from the Oregon Secretary of State's page for voters with disabilities . Get help from someone you trust Any Oregon voter can ask for and get help registering to vote, marking their ballot, or returning it. You can get help from a care provider, a family member, a friend or anyone else you trust, at home or wherever you choose, like a care center, a library or a senior center. One rule to know: under Oregon law, you can't get help from your employer or someone acting for your employer, or from an officer or agent of your union. Mark your ballot with a screen reader Voters with a disability can use a screen reader or other assistive technology to fill out their ballot at home with Oregon's online ballot-marking tool. After that, you print the ballot, sign it, and send it back in the return envelope the county mails you about two weeks before the ele...

If you want to vote in the November 3 election in Deschutes County and you aren't registered yet, the deadline is Tuesday, October 13, 2026. Online registration closes at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time that night. If you've moved, update your address by then too, so your ballot is mailed to the right place. Who can register U.S. citizens Oregon residents Anyone at least 16 years old (you'll get a ballot once there's an election on or after your 18th birthday) Register online Go to Oregon's online voter registration page . You'll need an Oregon driver license, permit or ID card number. No Oregon ID? Use the last four digits of your Social Security number. If you have neither, you can still fill it out online, then print it, sign it, and mail or bring it to the county elections office. Prefer paper? Fill out a voter registration form and return it to the Deschutes County Clerk's office at 1300 NW Wall St in Bend. Already registered? Check anyway If you...

If you voted by mail in Oregon and the county couldn't match the signature on your return envelope, your ballot is set aside until the signature is fixed. It isn't thrown away. You have time, and the fix is simple. How you'll know The Deschutes County Clerk's office mails you a notice with a form to sign and send back. If you get one, don't set it aside. The deadline: Tuesday, November 24, 2026 For the November 3 election, you have 21 days after Election Day to fix your signature. That's Tuesday, November 24, 2026. How to fix it Follow the instructions on the notice and return the signed form. Or sign in person at the Clerk's office, 1300 NW Wall St, Bend, before 5 p.m. on November 24. Questions? Call Deschutes County Elections at (541) 388-6547. Why it matters If the signature isn't fixed in time, the ballot isn't counted and your voter registration can be made inactive. Then you'd need to update your registration before you can vote...

Oregon votes by mail. Your ballot comes with a postage-paid return envelope, so you can mail it back with no stamp, or drop it off at an official drop box. When drop boxes are open Deschutes County drop boxes open October 16 and close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, 2026 . Where they are The county has official drop sites in Bend, Redmond, Sisters, La Pine and Sunriver. Find the one nearest you on the Deschutes County drop box map or Oregon's drop box locator . You can use any official drop site in Oregon, or bring your ballot to the county elections office at 1300 NW Wall St in Bend. Mailing it instead? Mail it by October 27 to be safe. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by November 3. Before you drop it off Sign the return envelope. Your ballot can't be counted until it's signed. Every date and step is in my Deschutes County voting guide . En español: Cómo votar . Had a problem with your ballot? Tell me what happened . — Jonathan Curtis, candida...

I've started a petition, and I'm asking every Deschutes County voter who agrees to add their name: we do not want Steve Dennison to continue as our County Clerk. This isn't about personal attacks. It's about what the county's own independent auditor found: In 2025, the auditor reported that the Clerk refused to discuss or provide information about the security of the county's vote-counting system, even though county code requires every county officer to give the auditor access. The 2024 audit found staff sharing logins, security controls switched off, and loose money controls. Four of its 13 recommendations remain open. In the May 2024 primary, some Deschutes County ballot packets were mailed in another county's envelopes. You can read every finding, with page numbers, on my audit findings page . Add your name It takes 30 seconds: sign the petition here . Then share it with a friend. Every name shows that Deschutes County voters want a Clerk who wel...

One of my three priorities for Deschutes County Clerk is clear, responsive communication with every resident. Here's what I mean by it, and what I'd do. The problem Most people deal with the Clerk's Office only a few times in their life: when they buy a home, get married, apply for a passport, appeal a property value or vote. That means almost everyone who contacts the office is new to the process. When instructions are confusing, people end up calling more than once, making extra trips or giving up. That isn't the resident's fault. It's a communication problem, and it's fixable. What I learned about explaining things I've spent years explaining processes to people who were doing something for the first time. In housing, I helped residents connect with local programs that could help them pay rent. A referral only helps if the person understands where to go, what to ask and what to bring. Getting that part right mattered as much as knowing the prog...

Friends and neighbors, This week I want to talk about one of my three priorities for Deschutes County Clerk: easier digital access to public records and licensing. It's not the most exciting topic in this race. But it affects more people than almost anything else the office does. What the Clerk's Office actually handles Most people think of the Clerk as "the elections office." Elections are a big part of it, but the office also: Records real-property documents (the paperwork behind buying and owning a home) Keeps county records and archives Issues marriage licenses Processes passport applications Supports the Property Value Appeals Board Each of those touches a real moment in someone's life. Buying a house. Getting married. Planning a trip. Disputing a property value. Why digital access matters A lot of working people in Central Oregon can't easily get to a county office during business hours. They're at a job site, on a shift or taking care ...

I've started a petition for four common-sense reforms to how elections are run in Deschutes County. Each one comes from what the county's own auditor found, or from what voters have told me. The county auditor gets full access. The 2025 elections audit says the Clerk refused to discuss or provide information about the security of the vote-counting system, even though county code requires every county officer to give the auditor access. Every audit recommendation gets a public plan and a finish date. The 2024 audit made 13 recommendations, and four remain open. No voter goes inactive over a signature without fair notice: a phone call, a text and an email first, not just one letter. The numbers are public after every election: how many ballots came back undelivered, and how many voters were made inactive and why. Add your name to the petition here. It takes 30 seconds, and every name shows the county that voters want elections they can check for themselves. You can r...

Oregon votes by mail, and the November 3, 2026 general election is coming fast. Here's a simple checklist so your vote counts. October 13: Last day to register to vote or update your address. Check yours on Oregon's My Vote page . October 14: Ballots are mailed to voters. October 16: Deschutes County ballot drop boxes open. October 27: Mail your ballot by this date to be safe. After that, use a drop box or ask the post office to hand-postmark it. October 29: Last day the county mails out replacement ballots. November 3: Election Day. Drop boxes close at 8 p.m. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by November 3. Don't forget Sign your return envelope. Your ballot can't be counted until it's signed. If your ballot doesn't come, call the Deschutes County Elections Office at (541) 388-6547. My full guide has every step: How to vote in Deschutes County . En español: Cómo votar en el condado de Deschutes . Had a problem voting? Tell me what happened . ...

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. Others have come to me upset that their registration was made inactive over a signature they say looks the same as always. Some told me they only found out when their next ballot didn't come. If it happens to you this November Check your registration and ballot status on Oregon's My Vote page . Ballots are mailed October 14. If yours doesn't come, call the Deschutes County Elections Office at (541) 388-6547. The last day the county mails a replacement is October 29. After that, pick one up in person. If your signature is challenged, you have 21 days after Election Day to fix it. Every date and step is on my voting guide: How to vote in Deschutes County . Tell me what happened I've set up ...

Hi, I'm Jon Curtis. People ask who I am, so I figured I'd answer it myself. I'm running for Deschutes County Clerk in the November 3, 2026 general election. I'm a third-generation Bend local. I grew up in Central Oregon with eight brothers and sisters, and I'm a dad now. Where I come from When I was 19, I experienced homelessness. I went to Job Corps to train as a wildland firefighter, and then worked seasonal fire for the U.S. Forest Service. In my last year, I led PT and hikes on Engine 335 under our engine captain. The work I'm proudest of Much of my working life has been in housing. I managed five apartment properties for Cascade Management in Madras, and later managed Bridge Meadows in Redmond, an intergenerational community for older adults and for families adopting or fostering kids. There, I handled maintenance and repairs, moved new residents in, and hosted weekly community events. When residents were struggling with rent, I helped connect them wi...

In 2023 I took a job as a commercial loan consultant. It took me nine months to earn my first check. Nine months is a long time to keep showing up without a paycheck. But that job taught me something I still use every day: most people are not looking for a miracle. They are looking for someone who will explain the process, tell them the truth about it, and help them take the next step. A lot of the business owners I worked with were stuck on hard-money loans. Those loans can keep a business running, but they cost a lot. Part of my work was helping owners move to traditional lines of credit instead, so they could put more of their money back into their business. Some of those owners were right here in Central Oregon, and the financing helped them grow. Here's what stuck with me. The owners who struggled most weren't the ones with bad ideas. They were the ones nobody had walked through the paperwork. Lending has a lot of forms, deadlines and rules. If you don't know the sy...

When I recorded my first in-person podcast, it was at a small studio right here in Bend. The owner set it up for me on just a few minutes' notice. And I learned something that stuck with me: the owners had built the studio themselves, and the furniture too, from wood they had on hand. I gave them a shout-out on air, and I want to give them one again here. Built here, by people who live here That's what I love about this place. People here don't wait for someone else to make what they need. They build it. And when a neighbor needs help, they make room for them. Supporting local businesses and local creators isn't just a nice idea. It keeps money and talent in our community, and it keeps Bend feeling like Bend. Why I'm telling you this I'm running for Deschutes County Clerk, and I think about service the same way that studio owner treated me: be ready to help, make it easy, and do it with care. That's what I want every resident to feel when they deal wi...

On the fireline, when the crew was worn out, we had a saying: “Embrace the suck.” It meant: accept the hard part, and keep going. Don't pretend it isn't hard. Don't complain your way through it. Just take it on, do it right, and get to the other side together. The hard part is part of the job Every job worth doing has a part nobody likes. On a fire crew, it's the long days, the heat, the hiking and the digging. In most offices, it's the careful, repetitive work that has to be right every single time, even when nobody is watching. I've learned that the people you can count on are the ones who don't skip the hard part. They embrace it. What that means for the Clerk's Office A lot of the County Clerk's work is that kind of work. Checking. Recording. Double-checking. Keeping records accurate and elections secure, one step at a time. It isn't glamorous, but it's what makes people able to trust the result. That's the kind of work I'm...

In 2023 I was in Houston, and I ended up telling people there about Central Oregon. I told them you can be skiing or snowboarding about 15 minutes from Bend. That we have mountain biking, and hot springs less than an hour away. That our rivers are clean enough to swim in, and that there are hundreds of lakes and waterfalls. That people float the river right through town. And that Bend was once called the most dog-friendly town. Seeing somewhere else Travelling shows you how other people live, and it makes you notice things about home you'd started to take for granted. For me, it made one thing clear: I'm a mountains person. Flat country just doesn't feel like home. I'm a third-generation Bend local. My family has been part of Central Oregon for a long time, and seeing other places only made me more sure that this is the best place to live. Why it matters for this race I'm running for Deschutes County Clerk because I care about this place and the people in it. ...

I try to remember the name of every person I meet. It's a small habit, but I take it seriously. A while back, some people whose show I had been on months earlier decided to test me on it. They asked if I remembered being on their show. I did. They also remembered a day I was meeting a big group of new people: I shook everyone's hand, learned every person's name and used it, and they said I was very respectful. That meant a lot to me, because it's exactly what I try to do. I try to be respectful at all times and be nice to everyone. Why a name matters Your name is the first thing that tells you someone actually sees you. When a person remembers it, you feel like you matter to them. When they don't bother, you feel like a number in a line. A lot of people walk into a government office feeling like a number in a line. They're there for something important: a marriage license, a property record, a question about their ballot. They don't always know the proc...

Secure and transparent elections are the first priority in my voters' pamphlet statement. That's on purpose. Running elections is one of the most important jobs the Deschutes County Clerk's Office does, and voters deserve to trust every step. Here's what that priority means to me in plain terms. 1. Easy to follow. Voters should be able to easily find out where their ballot is: when it was mailed, when it was received, and when it was counted. When helpful tools like that exist, more people should know about them and know how to use them. 2. Quick, clear notice. If a voter needs to fix something on their ballot, like a signature question, they should hear about it clearly and in time to fix it. A notice that's easy to read and arrives quickly is one people can act on. 3. Open process. Transparency means people can understand how ballots are handled, checked and counted. When people can see the process, they trust it more. 4. Real answers. If you call or emai...

Dear neighbors, I want to tell you about the year I didn't have a home. I was 19. I won't pretend I handled it perfectly. But I can tell you what it taught me: when you don't have stable housing, everything else gets harder. Work gets harder. Planning gets harder. Even asking for help gets harder, because you don't always know who to ask. What helped me was a next step. I went to Job Corps to train as a wildland firefighter. Training gave me something to work toward, and the fireline gave me a crew and a job to do. Years later, housing came back into my life from the other side. I managed five apartment properties for Cascade Management in Madras. Later I managed Bridge Meadows in Redmond, a community built for older adults and for families who are adopting or permanently fostering kids. My days there were very practical: maintenance and repairs, moving new residents in, and hosting weekly events so neighbors could get to know each other. Some of the most importan...

For a long time, people had trouble understanding me when I talked. I had four speech impediments. Until I was about twelve years old, a lot of people couldn't easily follow what I was saying. So I went to speech therapy. Not for a summer. For nineteen years. I want to tell you what those years were actually like, because I think they explain a lot about why I'm running for Deschutes County Clerk. Practice is not glamorous Speech therapy is mostly repetition. You say the same sounds again and again. You get corrected. You try again. Most sessions don't feel like progress. You only notice the progress when you look back over years. I also have autism, which I was diagnosed with as a kid, and later an ADHD diagnosis. I call the ADHD a blessing, because it gives me a lot of energy. But put all of that together and you get a kid who had to work harder than most just to be understood. That work paid off slowly. Today I speak in public. I've hosted my own podcast. I...

In 2024, I ran for Bend City Council. I learned a lot, and I came out of it wanting to keep serving. Running for office teaches you things you can't learn any other way. You meet people at their doors and at events. You hear what's on their minds. And you start to see which parts of local government people actually deal with day to day. One thing I heard again and again: people want government to be clear. They want to know where to go, what to bring, and what happens next. That's a big part of why I'm running for Deschutes County Clerk in 2026. A different job A City Council seat and the County Clerk's Office are very different. The Council sets city policy. The Clerk's Office is about running important public services well. In Deschutes County, the Clerk's Office: Conducts elections Records real-property documents Maintains public records and archives Issues marriage licenses Processes passport applications Supports the Property Value Appeals B...

I'm a third-generation Bend local. My family has been part of Central Oregon for a long time, and I grew up here with eight brothers and sisters. When you grow up in a family that big, you learn a few things fast. You learn to share. You learn to speak up. And you learn that everybody does better when everybody pitches in. A place that shaped me Central Oregon gave me a lot. It gave me the outdoors: hiking, camping, and long days outside. It gave me my first real calling, too. I trained through Job Corps and went to work as a wildland firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service, protecting the forests I grew up in. By my last season, I was leading PT and hikes on Engine 335. Later, I worked in housing in Madras and Redmond. I handled repairs, moved new residents in, hosted weekly community events, and helped residents find local programs that might help with rent. I've also led a 15-person sales team and I run small businesses today. Every one of those jobs was here, serving ...

Jonathan Curtis describes entering Job Corps after experiencing homelessness at 19. His goal was practical: to become a wildland firefighter and learn the work that path required. The step mattered because it gave his effort a direction. Rather than describing only what he had been through, Curtis can point to the occupation he set out to learn and the responsibilities that followed. Job Corps offers more than an abstract promise of a new beginning. The Forest Service describes trained Job Corps firefighters contributing to suppression and fuels-management work, while other participants support fire camps ( U.S. Forest Service ). Curtis's stated goal was to enter the firefighting side of that world. His LinkedIn profile lists seasonal Forest Service firefighting from February 2019 through August 2021 ( LinkedIn experience ). His own recollections add the human side of that entry, including physical preparation and work within a crew. Later chapters bring different kinds of re...

Sales is one of the professional chapters Jonathan Curtis wants included in his biography. His account concerns leading a team, teaching beginners, and helping people understand a process they had not done before. His LinkedIn profile identifies an Amtech role involving AI-powered secretaries and custom software ( LinkedIn experience ). Describing those products accurately matters more than treating a technical label as proof that every customer would benefit. Trustworthy selling has a clear public standard. The Federal Trade Commission requires advertising claims to be truthful, nondeceptive, and evidence-based ( Federal Trade Commission ). That industry context gives substance to a reflective story about sales leadership without presenting a regulatory endorsement of Curtis or any employer. An honest offer begins with the distinction between what exists and what is hoped for. A capability that can be demonstrated is different from a feature that might be developed later. A clear ...