Oregon Revised Statutes

Chapter 248 — Political Parties; Presidential Electors

70 sections

248.002 Definitions

As used in this chapter: “Committee office” means chairperson, vice chairperson or other office the county or state central committee of a political party creates to govern the business of the committee. “County clerk” means the county clerk or the county official in charge of elections. “Elector” means an individual qualified to vote under section 2, Art…

248.004 Powers of political parties; liability of political parties and of officers, employees and members of political parties

A minor political party or a major political party shall have all the powers granted to a nonprofit corporation under ORS 65.077. A major or minor political party shall be treated for purposes of contractual, tort or other liability as a nonprofit corporation. Officers and employees of a major or minor political party, including officers and employees of l…

248.005 Parties to insure widest and fairest representation of members

Each political party by rule shall insure the widest and fairest representation of party members in the party organization and activities. Rules shall be adopted by procedures that assure the fair and open participation of all interested party members.

248.006 Qualification and maintenance of status as major political party; loss of status as major political party; calculation of number of party members

An affiliation of electors becomes a major political party in this state and is qualified to make nominations at a primary election when a number of electors equal to at least 10 percent of the number of electors registered in this state are registered as members of the party not later than the 275th day before the date of a primary election. An affiliation …

248.007 Organization of major political parties; applicability of ORS 248.012 to 248.315; election of precinct committeepersons; notice to Secretary of State; use of primary election

Subject to ORS 248.005, a major political party may organize and select delegates to national party conventions in any manner. The provisions of ORS 248.012 to 248.315 do not apply to a major political party if the party has notified the Secretary of State as provided in subsection (5) of this section that the party does not intend to be subject to the prov…

248.008 Qualification as minor political party; party member registration requirement; eligibility to nominate candidates; maintenance of status as minor political party; loss of status as minor party

An affiliation of electors becomes a minor political party in the state, a county or other electoral district, qualified to make nominations for public office in that electoral district and in any other electoral district wholly contained within the electoral district, when the affiliation of electors has acted as described in either paragraph (a) or (b) of …

248.009 Process for nominating candidates by minor political party; notice to filing officer; notice of nominating convention

A minor political party shall file with the filing officer a copy of its organizational documents establishing its process for nominating candidates for public office. The organizational documents shall be filed not later than 30 days after they are adopted. The nominating process for candidates for election at the general election shall provide an equal opp…

248.010 [Amended by 1957 c.608 §49; 1965 c.407 §1; 1975 c.779 §4; 1979 c.190 §71; 1983 c.514 §5; repealed by 2019 c.675 §33]

248.011 Enforcement of ORS 248.005 or political party rules

Except as expressly required by law, the Secretary of State, a county clerk or any other elections official shall not enforce the provisions of ORS 248.005 or any other rule adopted by a political party.

248.012 Notice of committee meetings required

The chairperson of a county central committee or state central committee shall notify by postal mail or electronic mail the entire membership of the committee not later than the sixth day before the date of an anticipated meeting. Except for the notice of an organizational meeting of a county central committee, failure to give timely notice of the time, date…

248.015 Precinct committeepersons; qualifications; election; vote required; term

A precinct committeeperson shall be a representative of the major political party in the precinct. At the primary election a major political party shall elect from its members a precinct committeeperson for every 250 electors, or major fraction thereof, who are registered in the precinct 251 days before the primary election. In any event the political party …

248.017 Eligibility for candidacy for office of precinct committeeperson

Notwithstanding any provision of ORS 248.015: An otherwise qualified person who will attain the age of 18 years after the deadline for filing a declaration of candidacy for the office of precinct committeeperson and on or before the date of the primary election, and who is registered as a member of the major political party not later than 180 days before th…

248.018 [1973 c.827 §24b; repealed by 1979 c.190 §431]

248.019 Write-in candidate for precinct committeeperson; process

Subject to ORS 248.015 (4), a person may participate as a write-in candidate for precinct committeeperson by filing with the county elections official a declaration of write-in candidacy. The declaration shall be made on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State by rule and must be filed no later than 8 p.m. on the date of the election. The form prescribed…

248.020 [Amended by 1957 c.608 §50; repealed by 1965 c.407 §18]

248.021 Nomination of separate elector as precinct committeeperson

An elector may nominate a separate elector as a write-in candidate for the office of precinct committeeperson if the elector making the nomination submits, not later than 8 p.m. on the date of the primary election, a write-in nomination on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State by rule. The write-in nomination shall: Certify that both the elector makin…

248.023 Certificates of election; acceptance of office; list of precinct committeepersons; offices declared vacant when no committeeperson elected

Not later than the 27th day after a primary election, the county elections official shall mail a certificate of election to each newly elected precinct committeeperson within the county. The county elections official also shall mail an “Acceptance of Office” form to each person elected by write-in votes to the office of precinct committeeperson who was nomin…

248.024 Resignation or ineligibility of precinct committeeperson

A precinct committeeperson may resign from the office by filing a written notification of resignation with the county elections official. Upon receipt of this notification, the county elections official shall: Remove the name of the person from the list of precinct committeepersons. Declare that office vacant. Notify the appropriate county central committ…

248.025 [1965 c.407 §6; 1979 c.190 §79; renumbered 248.031]

248.026 Selection of precinct committeeperson to fill vacancy; effective date of selection; term; powers

The members of a county central committee may fill a vacancy in the office of precinct committeeperson by selecting a member of the major political party who is registered in: The precinct in which the vacancy exists; A precinct adjoining the precinct in which the vacancy exists that is within the same county; or A precinct that is both within the same co…

248.027 Committeeperson to continue on central committee despite change in precinct

A precinct committeeperson who represents a precinct which is subsequently combined, consolidated or abolished shall continue to be a member of the county central committee until the end of that committeeperson’s regular term of office.

248.029 Recall of committeeperson; procedure; cost

Except as provided in this section, the provisions for recall of a public officer under ORS 249.002 to 249.013 and 249.865 to 249.877, apply to a recall election of a precinct committeeperson. A precinct committeeperson may be recalled by a petition signed by the number of party members equal to not less than 25 percent of the number of party members who vo…

248.030 [Amended by 1957 c.608 §51; repealed by 1965 c.407 §18]

COUNTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE

248.031 Precinct committeepersons as county central committee; status and functions of committee

The precinct committeepersons of the county shall constitute the county central committee of their party. The county central committee of each major political party is the highest party authority in county party matters and may adopt rules or resolutions for any matter of party government within the county which is not controlled by the laws of this state.

248.033 Organizational meeting; notice

The organizational meeting of a county central committee shall be held no less frequently than every 25 months. The retiring county central committee shall prepare a written notice designating the time, date and place of the meeting and file a copy of the notice with the county elections official not later than the 40th day before the date of the meeting. T…

248.035 Transfer of property; election of officers; notice of election; eligibility to vote

At the organizational meeting of a county central committee: The officers of the retiring county central committee shall make available to the committee the property, records and funds owned or controlled by the retiring committee. The committee next shall elect a chairperson, vice chairperson and other officers the committee considers necessary. The perso…

248.040 [Repealed by 1965 c.407 §18]

248.043 Procedure if meeting not called; filling vacancies when no precinct committeeperson elected; term of appointee; notice to county clerk

If a newly elected county central committee fails to meet or to organize or if no person within a county is elected by a major political party as a precinct committeeperson, the chairperson of the retiring state central committee shall appoint a temporary chairperson of the county central committee. The temporary chairperson shall call an organizational meet…

248.045 Proxies prohibited; bylaws or rules; executive committee functions; voting privileges

Proxies in no instance shall be permitted to participate at any county central committee meeting. At any meeting of the county central committee, the committee may: Adopt, amend or repeal bylaws or rules for the government of the political party in the county. By the adoption of bylaws or of a resolution, select an executive committee and authorize the exe…

248.047 [1965 c.407 §11; 1967 c.540 §1; 1975 c.779 §8; 1979 c.190 §75; renumbered 248.024]

248.049 [1967 c.540 §3(1),(2); repealed by 1979 c.190 §431]

248.050 [Repealed by 1965 c.407 §18]

248.053 [1967 c.540 §4; 1979 c.190 §78; renumbered 248.029]

248.055 [1965 c.407 §12; 1967 c.540 §2; 1975 c.779 §9; 1979 c.190 §76; renumbered 248.026]

248.057 [1967 c.124 §2; 1979 c.190 §77; renumbered 248.027]

248.060 [Amended by 1957 c.608 §52; repealed by 1965 c.407 §18]

248.070 [Amended by 1957 c.608 §53; 1961 c.94 §1; repealed by 1965 c.407 §18]

248.071 [1965 s.s. c.1 §3 (enacted as 248.070); repealed by 1967 c.227 §1]

STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE

248.072 Authority of state central committee

The state central committee is the highest party authority in the state and may adopt rules or resolutions for any matter of party government which is not controlled by the laws of this state.

248.075 State central committee; organizational meeting; notice

The state central committee shall consist of at least two delegates from each county central committee and other delegates from each county equal to the number of party members in the county registered on the date of the primary election divided by 15,000. If the remaining number exceeds 7,500, one additional delegate shall represent the county. The delegate…

248.080 [Amended by 1957 c.608 §54; repealed by 1965 c.407 §18]

248.085 Transfer of property; election of officers; bylaws or rules; executive committee functions

At the organizational meeting of the state central committee: The officers of the retiring state central committee shall deliver to the newly elected committee the property, records and funds owned or controlled by the retiring committee. The committee shall elect a chairperson, vice chairperson and other officers the committee considers necessary. The per…

248.090 [Amended by 1957 c.608 §55; 1965 s.s. c.1 §4; 1971 c.627 §1; repealed by 1975 c.779 §28]

248.095 [1989 c.986 §4; repealed by 1993 c.797 §33]

248.100 [Amended by 1965 c.407 §15; 1975 c.779 §12; 1979 c.190 §71; renumbered 248.012]

248.110 [Repealed by 1957 c.608 §231]

248.120 [Repealed by 1957 c.608 §231]

248.130 [Repealed by 1957 c.608 §231]

248.140 [Repealed by 1957 c.608 §231]

248.150 [Amended by 1957 c.608 §56; 1965 c.320 §1; repealed by 1967 c.227 §1]

248.160 [Amended by 1957 c.608 §57; 1975 c.779 §12a; 1979 c.190 §87; repealed by 1983 c.567 §22]

248.170 [1973 c.773 §8; repealed by 1975 c.779 §28]

248.175 [1973 c.773 §9; renumbered 171.062]

248.180 [1973 c.773 §10; renumbered 171.064]

248.210 [1961 c.667 §2; 1965 c.407 §16; repealed by 1975 c.779 §28]

248.220 [1961 c.667 §3; repealed by 1975 c.779 §28]

248.310 [Amended by 1957 c.608 §58; 1975 c.779 §13; repealed by 1979 c.190 §431]

DELEGATES TO NATIONAL CONVENTIONS

248.315 Selection of delegates to national convention

After a presidential preference primary election, each major political party whose national affiliate holds a convention to select its nominee for President of the United States shall select delegates to the national convention of that party. Delegates to the national convention of a party shall be selected in the manner provided by party rules, which shall…

248.320 [Amended by 1957 c.608 §59; 1969 c.603 §1; subsections (2), (3), (4) enacted as 1969 c.603 §4; 1971 c.685 §1; repealed by 1975 c.779 §28]

248.325 [1971 c.590 §2; repealed by 1975 c.779 §28]

248.330 [Amended by 1957 c.608 §60; 1969 c.603 §2; repealed by 1975 c.779 §28]

248.340 [Amended by 1957 c.608 §61; renumbered 248.355]

248.350 [Amended by 1957 c.608 §62; repealed by 1975 c.779 §28]

248.352 [1965 c.526 §§2,3,5; repealed by 1975 c.779 §28]

248.354 [1965 c.526 §4; repealed by 1975 c.779 §28]

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS

248.355 Selection of presidential electors; candidate’s pledge

In a year when a President and Vice President of the United States are to be nominated and elected, each political party nominating candidates for those offices shall select a number of candidates for elector of President and Vice President equal to the total number of Senators and Representatives to which this state is entitled in Congress. A candidate for…

248.360 Election and number of presidential electors to be elected; names of presidential electors not printed on ballot

At the general election in a year when a President and Vice President of the United States are to be elected, the electors of this state shall elect as many electors of President and Vice President as this state is entitled to elect Senators and Representatives in Congress. The names of the electors shall not be printed on the general election ballot. A vot…

248.370 Convening of electors; vacancies; duties

The electors of President and Vice President shall convene at the State Capitol on the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December following their election at a time to be established by the Secretary of State by rule. Not later than six days prior to the convening of electors under subsection (1) of this section, the Governor and the Secretary of …

248.380 Electors’ mileage expenses

An elector of President and Vice President of the United States who attends at the time and place appointed and votes for President and Vice President shall be entitled to receive from this state mileage expenses at the rate allowed to members of the Legislative Assembly.

248.990 [1965 c.407 §17; 1975 c.779 §14; 1979 c.190 §93; repealed by 1987 c.718 §5]

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