ORS 249.005 Acceptance of petition or minutes without original signatures

Notwithstanding ORS 249.008 and 249.875, a petition or minutes for which original signatures are otherwise required may be accepted by the county clerk or the Secretary of State for signature verification, or by another filing officer in the case of a recall petition, with photographic copies of one or more signature sheets if:

The signature sheets containing the original signatures were stolen or destroyed by fire, a natural disaster or other act of God; and

The photographic copy of each original signature sheet contains the number of the original signature sheet prescribed by the Secretary of State under ORS 249.009.

As used in this section, “act of God” means an unanticipated grave natural disaster or other natural phenomenon of an exceptional, inevitable and irresistible character, the effects of which could not have been prevented or avoided by the exercise of due care or foresight.