Title 23, Elections

Subject to ORS 254.548, the chief city elections officer: (1) After the primary election, shall enter in a register of nominations: (a) The name of each candidate for city office nominated at the primary election. (b) The office for which the candidate is nominated. (c) If applic…

When a candidate elected to public office is required by law to take, file, subscribe or indorse an oath of office before entering upon the duties of the office, the candidate shall not take, file, subscribe or indorse the oath until the candidate has been granted a certificate o…

When two or more candidates for the same office, after a full recount of votes, have an equal and the highest number of votes: (1) For election to state Senator or Representative, a party office, or a public office for which the elections officer is other than the Secretary of St…

(1) If the Secretary of State determines that a vacancy exists in the nomination of a candidate of a major political party for state office, that the vacancy is due to the death of the candidate and that the vacancy occurred after the 47th day before the date of the general elect…

(1) If the Secretary of State determines that a special election is necessary under ORS 254.650, the secretary shall issue an order calling the election. The secretary shall issue the order not later than the fifth business day after the date of the general election. (2) The date…

(1) Notwithstanding ORS 253.065, for a special election called under ORS 254.655, ballots shall be mailed to military or overseas electors not later than the 30th day before the date of the election. County clerks shall make ballots available to other absent electors not later th…

As used in this chapter: (1) “County clerk” means the county clerk or the county official in charge of elections. (2) “District board” means the governing body of a district. (3) “District election” means any election authorized or required to be held by a district. (4) “District…

As used in this chapter, “district” means: (1) A domestic water supply district organized under ORS chapter 264. (2) A cemetery maintenance district organized under ORS chapter 265. (3) A park and recreation district organized under ORS chapter 266. (4) A mass transit district or…

(1) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this section or by the law under which the district is formed or is operating, a district election shall be conducted in accordance with this chapter. (2) Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, district elections shall be su…

In performing functions under this chapter, the elections officer may request the advice and assistance of the district elections authority or the officers of the district. Upon receipt of a request, a district elections authority or the officer of a district shall furnish advice…

If the boundary of a district is changed, the district board immediately shall send a certified copy of the order, resolution or other action changing the boundary to the elections officer. [1979 c.190 §285]

Except as provided in ORS 255.400 to 255.424, the elections officer may delegate to the district elections authority at the request of the district elections authority any responsibility to conduct the district election, in whole or in part, if the elections officer determines th…

Unless specifically provided otherwise, when the district elections authority of a district that holds regular district elections refers a measure to the electors of the district, the election on the measure shall be held on a district election date specified by the district elec…

(1) Not later than the 115th day before a regular district election, or not later than the 135th day before a district election held on the date of a primary election or general election, the elections officer shall deliver to each district elections authority a form for updating…

(1) When a district election is to be held for the purpose of electing members of the district board, the elections officer shall publish a notice stating the date of the election, the board positions to be voted upon and the latest date on which candidates for election as board …

(1)(a) Not later than the 61st day before a district election on a measure, the district elections authority shall deliver to the elections officer a notice stating the date of the election and a ballot title. The district elections authority shall prepare the ballot title for a …

As used in ORS 255.125 to 255.205, “district” means a district referred to in section 1 (5), Article IV, Oregon Constitution. [1979 c.190 §290]

ORS 255.135 to 255.205 carry out the provisions of section 1, Article IV, Oregon Constitution, and shall apply to the exercise of initiative or referendum powers by the people of a district regarding a district measure. [1979 c.190 §291]

(1) Before circulating a petition to initiate or refer a district measure, the petitioner shall file with the elections officer a prospective petition. The elections officer immediately shall date and time stamp the prospective petition, and specify the form on which the petition…

(1) Not later than the fifth business day after receiving a prospective petition for an initiative measure, the 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. (…

(1) When a prospective petition for a district measure to be referred is filed with the elections officer, the officer shall authorize the circulation of the petition containing the title of the measure as enacted by the district elections authority or, if there is no title, the …

(1) Any elector dissatisfied with a ballot title filed with the elections officer by the district attorney or district elections authority may petition the circuit court of the judicial district in which the administrative office of the district is located seeking a different tit…

(1) Except for a district measure of the Port of Portland, a metropolitan service district organized under ORS chapter 268, a school district with an enrollment exceeding 40,000 pupils or a mass transit district situated in a metropolitan statistical area with a population exceed…

(1) An initiative or referendum petition relating to a district measure shall be filed with the elections officer for signature verification. The filed petition shall contain only original signatures. (2) An initiative or referendum petition relating to a district measure shall n…

(1) In a district that holds regular district elections, if an initiative or referendum petition contains the required number of verified signatures, the election on the district measure shall be held on the third Tuesday in May, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in Novemb…

The elections officer shall retain the signature sheets of a filed initiative or referendum petition with a copy of the district measure. If the measure is approved by the district electors, a copy of the measure shall be preserved as a permanent public record, and the signature …

In lieu of or in addition to publication of notice under ORS 255.085, if it is expedient to do so the elections officer may give notice by mail to each elector of the district. The notice shall have postage prepaid and shall be considered given when mailed. Mailed notice of a dis…

Except as provided in ORS 255.400 to 255.424: (1) A candidate for election as a member of a district board shall be nominated by filing with the elections officer either: (a) A petition for nomination signed by at least 25 electors, or 10 percent of the electors, residing in the …

Except as provided in ORS 255.400 to 255.424, if a vacancy occurs in the office of district board member after the deadline for notice in ORS 255.069 (2) and on or before the 62nd day before the regular district election, the Secretary of State by rule shall provide a nominating …

At any election in which the question of establishing or changing the exterior boundaries of a district or the question of establishing or changing boundaries of electoral zones or subdistricts within a district is submitted to a vote, the elections officer shall provide a map in…

In a district in which a position or zone number is assigned to each office on the district board, the ballot shall state the position or zone number of the office to which the candidate seeks election. The candidate’s name shall appear on the ballot only for the designated posit…

(1) Not later than the 27th day after the date of an election, the elections officer shall prepare an abstract of the votes and deliver it to the district elections authority. Not later than the 45th day after the date of an election, the district elections authority shall determ…

(1) Except as otherwise provided by ORS 198.775, 261.210 and 568.542, the expenses incurred for a district election shall be paid by that district. (2) When two or more districts hold an election on the same day, the expenses of the election shall be equitably apportioned among t…

Except as provided in ORS 255.400 to 255.424, the Secretary of State by rule shall require the districts that are not in compliance with ORS 255.335 to so comply. For this purpose, the rule may require adjusting or staggering terms of board members. [Formerly 259.235; 1981 c.173 …

Except as provided in ORS 255.400 to 255.424: (1) The regular district election shall be held by each district for the purpose of electing members of the district board to succeed a member whose term expires the following June 30 and to elect members to fill any vacancy which the…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a special election called by a district elections authority shall not be held on any date other than: (a) The second Tuesday in March; (b) The third Tuesday in May; (c) The fourth Tuesday in August; or (d) The first Tuesda…

As used in ORS 255.400 to 255.424: (1)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, “board of a qualifying district” means: (A) A district school board as defined in ORS 332.002; (B) The board of directors of an education service district as defined in ORS 334.003; …

(1) Notwithstanding ORS chapter 332, 334 or 341 or any other provision of law: (a) A qualifying district election may not be conducted in a manner that impairs the ability of members of a protected class to have an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice or an equal…

(1) A qualifying district is in violation of ORS 255.405 if it is shown that: (a) Electors in the qualifying district exhibit polarized voting; and (b) Members of a protected class do not have an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice or an equal opportunity to inf…

(1) The board of a qualifying district that intends to change the electoral system of the qualifying district in order to remedy a potential violation of ORS 255.405, or in order to comply with a court order requiring the board of a qualifying district to remedy a violation of OR…

(1) An individual who meets the qualifications set forth in ORS 255.411 (2) and who intends to file an action alleging a qualifying district’s electoral system fails to comply with ORS 255.405 shall first notify the board of the qualifying district by certified mail. The notice s…

As used in this chapter: (1) “Candidate” means a candidate for nomination or election to any elective office. (2) “Contestant” means any person who files a petition of contest under ORS 258.036. (3) “Contestee” means: (a) In a contest of the nomination of a person for an office o…

The nomination or election of a person, the result of a recall election or the approval or rejection of a measure may be contested by any elector entitled to vote for the person, recall or measure, by any person who was a candidate at the election for the same nomination or offic…

(1) The nomination or election of a person may not be set aside for any cause listed in ORS 258.016 (3) to (5) unless: (a) The person nominated or elected had knowledge of or connived in the cause of the contest; or (b) The number of votes taken from the person nominated or elect…

(1) Not later than the 40th day after the election or the seventh day after completion of a recount of votes cast in connection with the election, any person authorized to contest a result of the election may file a petition of contest. The petition shall be filed with: (a) The C…

(1) The prevailing party in the contest proceeding shall recover costs, disbursements and reasonable attorney fees at trial and on appeal against the losing party. However, if the cause of the contest is a mistake in the canvass of votes and the contestant prevails, the cost of a…