The Portland City Council will expand from four commissioners to 12 starting next year and will effectively act as the legislative branch in the city's new form of government. Why it matters: In the past,

Portland voters will choose between 19 candidates for mayor and 16 to 30 candidates for City Council in each of four new districts during an historic election this fall. Vetting those candidates will be especially important for voters because ranked-choice voting will be used for the first time to elect the mayor and members of an expanded 12-person City Council.