Title 23, Elections

As used in this chapter: (1) “Candidate” means an individual whose name is or is expected to be printed on the official ballot. (2) “City office” means the office of mayor, city auditor, city councillor or municipal judge of a city having a population of 50,000 or more according …

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of State and a county may enter into an intergovernmental agreement as provided in ORS 190.003 to 190.130 under which the Secretary of State and the county clerk of the county may jointly produce a voters’ pamphlet for any…

The Secretary of State by rule shall prescribe the size, format and method of distribution of any state voters’ pamphlet, subject to the limits described in this chapter. [1999 c.318 §7]

(1) The Secretary of State by rule shall adopt an electronic filing system to allow estimates, portraits, statements or arguments to be filed electronically using the Internet. (2) The Secretary of State may adopt rules to administer this section. [2011 c.646 §9] Note: 251.014 wa…

The Secretary of State shall pay fees received under this chapter into the General Fund. [1979 c.190 §173]

(1) If a special election or special primary election is held under ORS 188.120 for the purpose of filling a vacancy in election or office of United States Senator or Representative in Congress, or for nominating a candidate of each major political party to fill the vacancy, the …

(1) The Secretary of State shall prepare and have printed in the voters’ pamphlet for the state primary election, the general election and any special election described in ORS 251.022 a statement containing, if applicable: (a) Requirements for a citizen to qualify as an elector.…

(1) Statements and arguments submitted for inclusion in a voters’ pamphlet by a candidate, political party or assembly of electors, or a person supporting or opposing a measure shall consist only of words or numbers. (2) The Secretary of State shall specify on any instructions fo…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, the Secretary of State may not print the name or title of a person or the name of an organization in an argument supporting or opposing any measure or a statement of any candidate, political party or assembly of electors f…

(1) The Secretary of State shall reject any statement, argument, translation or other matter offered for filing and publishing in a voters’ pamphlet that: (a) Contains any obscene, profane or defamatory language; (b) Incites or advocates hatred, abuse or violence toward any perso…

(1)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, not sooner than the 120th day and not later than the 68th day before the primary election, a candidate or agent on behalf of the candidate for nomination or election at the primary election to the office of President …

(1) A candidate or agent on behalf of the candidate for nomination or election to any county or city office, or to an elected office of a metropolitan service district organized under ORS chapter 268, may file a portrait or statement for inclusion in the state voters’ pamphlet un…

The Secretary of State shall include in each voters’ pamphlet, in which material of a candidate for nomination or election to an office of a metropolitan service district organized under ORS chapter 268 is printed as provided in ORS 251.065, 251.067 and 251.285, a map of the serv…

(1) A candidate may not submit for inclusion in the voters’ pamphlet a portrait that was taken more than four years before the date the portrait is filed with the Secretary of State. (2) A portrait submitted for inclusion in the voters’ pamphlet shall: (a) Be a conventional photo…

The candidate’s statement shall begin with a summary of the following: Occupation, educational and occupational background, and prior governmental experience. [Formerly 255.027]

(1) If a candidate files a portrait and statement under ORS 251.065 for inclusion in the voters’ pamphlet, the Secretary of State shall review the portrait and statement to ensure that the portrait complies with the requirements of ORS 251.075 and that the statement complies with…

(1) For space in the voters’ pamphlet: (a) Each candidate for nomination or election to the office of President or Vice President of the United States shall, at the time materials are filed under ORS 251.065, pay a fee of $3,500 to the Secretary of State or may submit a petition …

(1) Not sooner than the 120th day and not later than the 70th day before the general election, the party officers as designated in the organizational documents of any statewide political party or assembly of electors having nominated candidates may file with the Secretary of Stat…

(1) In a section of the voters’ pamphlet that provides general information, the Secretary of State shall include a disclaimer in boldfaced type in substantially the following form: ______________________________________________________________________________ Information provided…

(1) Material filed for inclusion in the voters’ pamphlet may be withdrawn on or before the deadline for filing material under ORS 251.065. (2) A person who paid a fee for filing material for inclusion in a voters’ pamphlet may receive a refund from the Secretary of State if the r…

Notwithstanding ORS 192.311 to 192.478 relating to public records, materials filed by a political party, assembly of electors or candidate for inclusion in a voters’ pamphlet and arguments supporting or opposing a measure filed by any person for inclusion in a voters’ pamphlet ar…

Material submitted for inclusion in any voters’ pamphlet shall not be admitted as evidence in any suit or action against the Secretary of State to restrain or enjoin the publication of the voters’ pamphlet. [Formerly 255.018]

(1) The Secretary of State shall prepare: (a) A list of the names of candidates for nomination or election at the primary election to the offices of President or Vice President of the United States, United States Senator, Representative in Congress, any state office other than ju…

(1) The Secretary of State shall create and make publicly available a list of: (a) The five most commonly spoken languages in the state, other than English; and (b) The 10 most commonly spoken languages in each county, other than English. (2) The lists created under subsection (1…

(1) The translation of a state voters’ pamphlet or county voters’ pamphlet required under ORS 251.167 shall be made in the manner described in this section. (2) For each state voters’ pamphlet and county voters’ pamphlet mailed to residents of a county, the Secretary of State sha…

(1)(a) The Translation Advisory Council is established. The council shall consist of five at-large members and at least one translator member for each of the 10 most commonly spoken languages in this state, other than English, and for each language in each county that the Secreta…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, not later than the 20th day before a primary election, general election or special election for which a voters’ pamphlet has been prepared, the Secretary of State shall cause the voters’ pamphlet to be mailed to each post-…

(1) The Secretary of State shall have printed in the voters’ pamphlet for a general election or any special election a copy of the title and text of each state measure to be submitted to the people at the election for which the pamphlet was prepared. The pamphlet must include the…

The text of a proposed amendment to the Oregon Constitution shall be printed in the voters’ pamphlet to indicate by the use of brackets and italic type the words that would be deleted from, and by boldfaced type the words that would be added to, the existing provision. [Formerly …

(1) As used in this section, “proponents” means: (a) With respect to any state measure initiated or referred by petition, the chief petitioners; or (b) With respect to a measure referred by the Legislative Assembly, the President of the Senate, who shall appoint a Senator, and th…

(1) 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 committee appointed under ORS 251.205 shall prepare and electronically file with the Secretary…

(1) The Legislative Counsel Committee shall prepare an impartial, simple and understandable statement of not more than 500 words explaining each state measure. The statement shall be filed electronically with the Secretary of State not later than the last day for filing a stateme…

If an explanatory statement is not filed by a committee under ORS 251.215 or by the Legislative Counsel Committee under ORS 251.225, the measure shall be printed in the voters’ pamphlet without the explanatory statement. [1991 c.971 §6]

(1) Any person dissatisfied with an explanatory statement for which suggestions were offered at the Secretary of State’s hearing under ORS 251.215 may petition the Supreme Court seeking a different statement and stating the reasons the statement filed with the court is insufficie…

(1) For any measure referred to the electors by the Legislative Assembly, an argument prepared by the Legislative Assembly in support of the measure may be printed in the voters’ pamphlet. The size and length of an argument under this section shall be determined as specified in O…

(1) Not sooner than the 120th day and not later than the 70th day before a general election or the 68th day before a special election held on the date of any primary election at which a state measure is to be voted upon, any person may file with the Secretary of State an argument…

(1) Not later than three business days following the deadline for filing an argument supporting or opposing a state measure under ORS 251.255, the Secretary of State shall review each argument to determine whether the person filing the argument made an error in: (a) Identifying t…

The Secretary of State shall include in the voters’ pamphlet on the page of the printed argument on a measure the name of the person who submitted the argument, the name of the organization the person represents, if any, and whether the argument supports or opposes the measure. […

(1) If a community college district measure relating to bonding, a county measure or a measure of a metropolitan service district organized under ORS chapter 268, and the ballot title, explanatory statement and arguments relating to the measure, are to be included by the Secretar…

The Secretary of State, pursuant to ORS 193.310 to 193.360, may supplement the special or general election voters’ pamphlet by causing to have broadcast by radio or television, material specified in this section at times the secretary determines suitable during the four weeks imm…

The county clerk of any county may prepare, print and distribute a county voters’ pamphlet for any election. [1989 c.1031 §2; 1991 c.48 §1]

(1) If a county produces a county voters’ pamphlet, the county voters’ pamphlet shall include, when applicable, at least the following information: (a) Requirements for a citizen to qualify as an elector. (b) Requirements for registration and updates of registration. (c) Elector …

(1) The Secretary of State by rule shall adopt a schedule and procedures for preparing, printing and distributing county voters’ pamphlets. The schedule and procedures shall include but not be limited to deadlines for filing material for the voters’ pamphlet, and except as otherw…

(1) As used in this section, “district” has the meaning given that term in ORS 255.012. (2) Any candidate for nomination or election to county, city or special district office within the county, or an agent of the candidate, may file with the county clerk of a county that prepare…

Not later than the date specified by the Secretary of State, in a county that prepares a county voters’ pamphlet, the governing body for any electoral district that has referred a measure to the voters shall submit an impartial, simple and understandable statement explaining the …

(1) Not later than the date specified by the Secretary of State by rule, in a county that prepares a county voters’ pamphlet, any person may file with the county clerk a typewritten argument supporting or opposing any measure to be submitted to the voters on the ballot. The count…

(1) Any county clerk preparing, printing and distributing a county voters’ pamphlet may apportion the cost of preparing, printing and distributing the county voters’ pamphlet as a cost of the election according to the formula established by the Secretary of State for the allocati…

ORS 251.365 does not apply to any special district for which the county clerk is required to hold elections if the special district demonstrates to the satisfaction of the county clerk that the special district is unable to pay the apportioned expenses of the voters’ pamphlet as …

As used in ORS 251.345 to 251.375, “electoral district” means the county or a city, or district as defined in ORS 255.012 located within the county. [1989 c.1031 §10]

(1) Statements and arguments submitted for inclusion in a county voters’ pamphlet by a candidate, political party or assembly of electors, or a person supporting or opposing a measure shall consist only of words or numbers. (2) The county clerk shall specify on any instructions f…