Oregon Revised Statutes
As used in this chapter: “County clerk” means the county clerk or the county official in charge of elections. “Elector” means an individual qualified to vote under section 2, Article II, Oregon Constitution. “Measure” includes any of the following submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at an election: A proposed law. An Act or part of a…
The Secretary of State by rule shall: Design the form of the prospective petition, and the initiative and the referendum petition, including the signature sheets, to be used in any initiative or referendum in this state. Designate the quality of paper to be used for signature sheets in order to ensure the legibility of the signatures. Prescribe a system f…
Any elector may sign an initiative or referendum petition for any measure on which the elector is entitled to vote. After an initiative or referendum petition is submitted for signature verification, no elector who signed the petition may remove the signature of the elector from the petition.
The signature of an individual that is submitted for verification on a petition or prospective petition that is circulated in accordance with the laws of this state is subject to inspection as a public record under ORS 192.311 to 192.478. The signature may be inspected in the office of the chief elections officer. The chief elections officer may not make a …
Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the chief petitioners of an initiative or referendum petition may withdraw the petition at any time prior to the submission of the petition for signature verification. The chief petitioners of an initiative petition relating to a state measure may withdraw the petition at any time prior to the submission…
The Secretary of State shall adopt administrative rules for the conduct of elections under section 11, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution, that include but are not limited to provisions that: Set forth the requirements for an election to which section 11 (8), Article XI of the Oregon Constitution, is applicable that are consistent with the voter registra…
The ballot title of any measure, other than a state measure, to be initiated or referred shall consist of: A caption of not more than 10 words which reasonably identifies the subject of the measure; A question of not more than 20 words which plainly phrases the chief purpose of the measure so that an affirmative response to the question corresponds to an a…
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all ballot titles subject to section 11 (8), Article XI of the Oregon Constitution, shall include the following statement as the first statement of the ballot title summary: ______________________________________________________________________________ This measure may be passed only at an election with at least …
The ballot title of any measure requesting elector approval of bonds, the principal and interest on which will be payable from taxes imposed on property or property ownership that are not subject to the limitations of sections 11 and 11b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution, shall contain, in addition to the matters required by ORS 250.035, the following s…
In addition to meeting other applicable requirements of this chapter: The ballot title for a measure authorizing the imposition of local option taxes shall contain the statement required by ORS 280.070 (4) and the information required by ORS 280.070 (5); The ballot title for a measure authorizing the establishment of a permanent rate limitation shall conta…
ORS 250.005 to 250.038 apply to the exercise of initiative or referendum powers: Regarding a county measure, regardless of anything to the contrary in the county charter or ordinance. Regarding a city measure, regardless of anything to the contrary in the city charter or ordinance.
If a signature sheet of a petition is not certified by the circulator as required under ORS 198.430, 198.750, 221.031, 248.008, 249.061, 249.740, 249.865, 250.045, 250.165, 250.265, 255.135, 261.115 and 545.025, signatures contained on the signature sheet may not be counted for purposes of determining whether the petition contains the required number of sign…
Notwithstanding ORS 250.105, 250.215, 250.315 and 255.175, an initiative or referendum petition for which original signatures are otherwise required may be accepted by the appropriate filing officer for signature verification with photographic copies of one or more signature sheets if: The signature sheets containing the original signatures were stolen or d…
An action that challenges the constitutionality of a measure initiated by the people or referred to the people for a vote must be commenced in the Circuit Court for Marion County if: The action is filed by a plaintiff asserting a claim for relief that challenges the constitutionality of a state statute or an amendment to the Oregon Constitution initiated by…
Before circulating a petition to initiate or refer a state measure under Article IV, section 1, of the Oregon Constitution, the petitioner shall file with the Secretary of State a prospective petition. The prospective petition for a state measure to be initiated: Shall contain the signatures of at least 1,000 electors; and May not contain the signatures o…
A person may not pay money or other valuable consideration to another person for obtaining signatures of electors on a state initiative, referendum or recall petition or a prospective petition for a state measure to be initiated, and a person may not receive money or other valuable consideration for obtaining signatures of electors on a state initiative, ref…
For each state initiative, referendum or recall petition, the Secretary of State shall prepare official templates of the cover and signature sheets for the petition. Except as provided in this section, templates of cover and signature sheets for state initiative and referendum petitions are subject to the requirements of ORS 250.045. The templates of signatu…
If the Attorney General determines that the subject, purpose and major effect of two or more state initiative measures to be submitted at the same election are substantially similar, the Attorney General shall provide identical draft ballot titles for the measures.
When a prospective petition for a state measure to be referred is filed with the Secretary of State, the secretary shall authorize the circulation of the petition using the final measure summary of the latest version of the printed, engrossed measure in lieu of the ballot title. On the next business day after the referendum petition has been filed containing…
The Secretary of State, upon receiving a draft ballot title from the Attorney General under ORS 250.065 or 250.075, shall provide reasonable statewide notice of having received the draft ballot title and of the public’s right to submit written comments as provided in this section. Written comments concerning a draft ballot title may be submitted to the secre…
When the Legislative Assembly refers a measure to the people, a ballot title for the measure may be prepared by the assembly. The ballot title shall be filed with the Secretary of State when the measure is filed with the Secretary of State. If the title is not prepared under subsection (1) of this section, when the measure is filed with the Secretary of Sta…
Any elector dissatisfied with a ballot title prepared by the Legislative Assembly for a measure referred to the people by the assembly and filed with the Secretary of State may petition the Supreme Court seeking a different title. The petition shall state the reasons that the title filed with the Secretary of State does not substantially comply with the requ…
A law enacted by the Legislative Assembly relating only to a county or district may be referred by the Legislative Assembly or by petition to the people of the county or district. The percentage of signatures required under section 1, Article IV, Oregon Constitution, for a referendum petition filed under this section shall be based on the vote for Governor w…
An initiative or referendum petition relating to a state measure must be filed with the Secretary of State for the purpose of verifying whether the petition contains the required number of signatures of electors. Signatures previously verified on a prospective petition for a state measure to be initiated shall be included in the calculation under this secti…
The Secretary of State shall number the measures to be voted on in the state at large consecutively and shall not repeat any number in any subsequent election. For each election, the numbers assigned shall begin with the number after the last number assigned under this section at the previous election. The Secretary of State shall number amendments to the Or…
When a state measure involves expenditure of public moneys by the state, reduction of expenditure of public moneys by the state, reduction of state revenues or raising of funds by the state by imposing any tax or incurring any indebtedness, the financial estimate committee created under this section shall estimate: The amount of direct expenditure, direct r…
Not later than the 99th day before a special election held on the date of a primary election or any general election at which any state measure is to be submitted to the people, the financial estimate committee created under ORS 250.125 shall prepare and electronically file with the Secretary of State the estimates described in ORS 250.125 and, if the commit…
Any person alleging that an estimate or statement described in ORS 250.125 was prepared, filed or certified in violation of the procedures specified in ORS 250.125 or 250.127 may petition the Supreme Court seeking that the required procedures be followed and stating the reasons the estimate or statement filed with the court does not satisfy the required proc…
The Secretary of State shall retain the signature sheets of a filed initiative or referendum petition with a copy of the state measure. If the measure is approved by the people, the signature sheets and copy of the measure shall be bound with a certified copy of the Governor’s proclamation declaring the measure approved. A copy of the measure and the Governo…
The Citizens’ Initiative Review Commission is established as a semi-independent state agency subject to ORS 182.456 to 182.472. The commission shall consist of 11 members. The members shall be appointed in the following manner: The Governor shall appoint three members who have at some time been selected by the four appointed members of an explanatory statem…
The Citizens’ Initiative Review Commission shall select one or more state measures proposed by initiative petition to be voted on at a general election and convene a separate citizen panel to review each selected measure. In selecting a measure to be reviewed by a citizen panel, the commission shall consider the following criteria: The fiscal impact of a m…
Not later than the date set by the Secretary of State by rule, each citizen panel shall prepare and file with the secretary any of the following statements of not more than 250 words each: A statement in favor of the measure. A statement opposed to the measure. A statement that “No panelist took this position.” if a panel is unanimous in either supporting…
Not later than February 1 of an odd-numbered year, each person who served as a moderator for a citizen panel that evaluated a measure voted on at the most recent general election shall: Convene to evaluate procedures related to the citizen panels and submit a written report to the Citizens’ Initiative Review Commission summarizing the evaluation, along with…
Except as otherwise provided in this section, the Citizens’ Initiative Review Commission may accept contributions of moneys and assistance from the United States Government or its agencies or from any other source, public or private, and agree to conditions placed on the moneys not inconsistent with the duties of the commission. All moneys received by the co…
Not later than the date that is four months before the date of the general election in an even-numbered year, the Citizens’ Initiative Review Commission shall determine whether moneys in sufficient amount are available in the account established under ORS 182.470 to carry out all the duties, functions and powers of the commission, implement ORS 250.139 to 25…
COUNTY MEASURES
ORS 250.165 to 250.235 carry out the provisions of section 10, Article VI, Oregon Constitution, and shall apply to the exercise of initiative or referendum powers regarding a county measure, unless the county charter or ordinance provides otherwise. ORS 250.165 to 250.235 apply to the exercise of initiative or referendum powers regarding a county measure in…
Before circulating a petition to initiate or refer a county measure, the petitioner shall file with the county clerk a prospective petition. The county clerk immediately shall date and time stamp the prospective petition, and specify the form on which the petition shall be printed for circulation. The clerk shall retain the prospective petition. The cover o…
Not later than the fifth business day after receiving a prospective petition for an initiative measure, the county clerk shall determine in writing whether the initiative measure meets the requirements of section 1 (2)(d), Article IV, and section 10, Article VI of the Oregon Constitution. If the county clerk determines that the initiative measure meets the …
When a prospective petition for a county measure to be referred is filed with the county clerk, the clerk shall authorize the circulation of the petition containing the title of the measure as enacted by the county governing body or, if there is no title, the title supplied by the petitioner filing the prospective petition. The county clerk immediately shall…
When the county governing body refers a measure to the people, a ballot title for the measure may be prepared by the body. The measure and the ballot title prepared under this subsection shall be filed at the same time with the county clerk. If the title is not prepared under subsection (1) of this section, when the measure is filed with the county clerk, t…
Any elector dissatisfied with a ballot title filed with the county clerk by the district attorney or the county governing body, may petition the circuit court of the judicial district in which the county is located seeking a different title and stating the reasons the title filed with the court is insufficient, not concise or unfair. The petition shall name …
This section applies to a county that has not adopted a charter under section 10, Article VI, Oregon Constitution. A referendum petition must be filed not later than the 90th day after the adoption of a nonemergency county measure. A petition to refer a county measure must contain at least the number of signatures of electors residing in the county that is…
An initiative or referendum petition relating to a county measure shall be filed with the county clerk for signature verification. The filed petition shall contain only original signatures. An initiative or referendum petition relating to a county measure shall not be accepted for filing if it contains less than 100 percent of the required number of signatu…
If an initiative or referendum petition contains the required number of verified signatures, the election on the county measure shall be held on the next available election date in ORS 203.085 that is not sooner than the 90th day after the measure was filed with the county clerk.
The county clerk shall retain the signature sheets of a filed initiative or referendum petition with a copy of the county measure. If the measure is approved by the electors, a copy of the measure shall be preserved as a permanent public record, and the signature sheets shall be preserved for six years. CITY MEASURES
ORS 250.265 to 250.346 apply to the exercise of initiative or referendum powers regarding a city measure under section 1, Article IV, Oregon Constitution, unless the city charter or ordinance provides otherwise.
Before circulating a petition to initiate or refer a city measure, the petitioner shall file with the city elections officer a prospective petition. The officer immediately shall date and time stamp the prospective petition, and specify the form on which the petition shall be printed for circulation. The officer shall retain the prospective petition. The co…
Not later than the fifth business day after receiving a prospective petition for an initiative measure, the city elections officer shall determine in writing whether the initiative measure meets the requirements of section 1 (2)(d) and (5), Article IV of the Oregon Constitution. If the city elections officer determines that the initiative measure meets the …
When a prospective petition for a city measure to be referred is filed with the city elections officer, the officer shall authorize the circulation of the petition containing the title of the measure as enacted by the city governing body or, if there is no title, the title supplied by the petitioner filing the prospective petition. The city elections officer…
When the city governing body refers a measure to the people, a ballot title for the measure may be prepared by the body. The ballot title shall be filed with the city elections officer. If the title is not prepared under subsection (1) of this section, when the measure is filed with the city elections officer, the officer shall send one copy to the city att…
Any elector dissatisfied with a ballot title filed with the city elections officer by the city attorney or the city governing body, may petition the circuit court of the judicial district in which the city is located seeking a different title and stating the reasons the title filed with the court is insufficient, not concise or unfair. The petition shall nam…
A petition to refer a city measure must be signed by not less than 10 percent of the electors registered in the city at the time the prospective petition is filed. The petition must be filed with the city elections officer not later than the 30th day after adoption of the city legislation sought to be referred. A petition to initiate a city measure must be …
An initiative or referendum petition relating to a city measure shall be filed with the city elections officer for signature verification. The filed petition shall contain only original signatures. An initiative or referendum petition relating to a city measure shall not be accepted for filing if it contains less than 100 percent of the required number of s…
If an initiative petition contains the required number of verified signatures, the city elections officer shall file the initiated measure with the city governing body at its next meeting. The governing body, not later than the 30th day after the measure is filed with it, may adopt or reject the measure unless the measure is required to be submitted to city…
The city elections officer shall retain the signature sheets of a filed initiative or referendum petition with a copy of the city measure. If the measure is approved by the electors, a copy of the measure shall be preserved as a permanent public record, and the signature sheets shall be preserved for six years.
If a referendum petition contains the required number of verified signatures, the election on the city measure shall be held on the next available election date in ORS 221.230 that is not sooner than the 90th day after the referendum petition was filed with the city elections officer.
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