Metro has a new tool to help build an Opt In online panel that represents the diversity of communities and viewpoints in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area.
On the Opt In website, you'll find a new "Who's Joined Opt In?" section showing live updates on the demographic makeup of the panel, including graphs for age, race, gender, education, political leanings and county of residence. The charts also include comparative figures for the actual demographic makeup of the region, providing quick visual indicators of how well current panel membership reflects the region as a whole.
As Metro news reporter Nick Christensen noted this week, Opt In has made great initial progress in recruiting members but has a long way to go in building a diverse, broadly representative panel. Residents of Multnomah County have far outpaced their neighbors in Clackamas and Washington counties in Opt In participation. Of the more than 2,300 panel members so far, barely 200 identified as a race or ethnicity other than white/Caucasian in the signup survey. And Democrat-leaning members outnumber Republican-leaning members 10 to 1.
For the Opt In opinion panel to be effective in guiding decisions that shape the region's future, it's crucial that the panel become more diverse and representative of the region's communities as it grows to its target size of at least 10,000 members. The upcoming phase of targeted Opt In outreach should make a difference in that effort. But the panel's most effective ambassador is you.
You can help by signing up today and inviting your friends, neighbors and co-workers to join you on the panel. Participating in Opt In is fast, easy and confidential—and if you join by March 15, you'll be entered in a drawing to win one of five $50 cash gift cards you can use anywhere!
Opt In now. Weigh in for the future.