(1) If any county measure or any 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 Secretary of State in the state voters’ pamphlet as provided in ORS 251.067, the requirements of this section shall be satisfied.
(2) The county or district measure, ballot title, explanatory statement and arguments shall not be printed in the voters’ pamphlet unless:
(a) The ballot title is a concise and impartial statement of the purpose of the measure;
(b) The explanatory statement is an impartial, simple and understandable statement explaining the measure and its effect;
(c) The county or metropolitan service district adopts and complies with an ordinance that provides a review procedure for a ballot title or explanatory statement which is contested because it does not comply with the requirements of paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection;
(d) The county or metropolitan service district adopts and complies with an ordinance that provides for acceptance of typewritten arguments relating to the measure to be printed on 30 square inches of the voters’ pamphlet; and
(e) The county or metropolitan service district does not require of a person filing an argument a payment of more than $300, or a petition containing more than a number of signatures equal to 1,000 electors eligible to vote on the measure or 10 percent of the total of such electors, whichever is less.
(3) Any judicial review of a determination made under the review procedures adopted under subsection (2)(c) of this section shall be first and finally in the circuit court of the judicial district in which the county is located or, for a district measure, in the circuit court of the judicial district in which the administrative office of the metropolitan service district is located.
(4) If the county or metropolitan service district has adopted and complied with ordinances prescribed in subsection (2) of this section, the decision to include the county or district measure, ballot title, explanatory statement and arguments in the voters’ pamphlet shall be made by:
(a) The county governing body with regard to any county measure or the council of the metropolitan service district with regard to any district measure;
(b) The chief petitioners of the initiative or referendum with regard to a county or district measure initiated or referred by the people. The chief petitioners shall indicate their decision in a statement signed by all of the chief petitioners and filed with the county clerk or, for a district measure, with the executive officer of the metropolitan service district; or
(c) A political committee, as defined in ORS 260.005, that opposes the county or district measure. The committee shall indicate its decision in a statement signed by every committee director, as defined in ORS 260.005, and filed with the county clerk or, for a district measure, with the executive officer of the metropolitan service district.
(5) The county or metropolitan service district shall file the measure, ballot title, explanatory statement and arguments with the Secretary of State not later than the 70th day before the general election or the 68th day before a special election held on the date of any primary election. The county or district shall pay to the Secretary of State the cost of including the county or district material in the pamphlet as determined by the secretary. The Secretary of State shall not have this material printed in the pamphlet unless:
(a) The time for filing a petition for judicial review of a determination made under subsection (2)(c) of this section has passed; and
(b) The measure, title, statement and arguments properly filed with the county or metropolitan service district, are delivered to the secretary. [Formerly 255.455; 1981 c.173 §29; 1989 c.250 §1; 1991 c.15 §3; 1991 c.719 §11; 1995 c.712 §47; 1999 c.318 §53; 2001 c.965 §11]
Section: Previous 251.230 251.235 251.245 251.255 251.260 251.265 251.275 251.285 251.295 251.305 251.310 251.315 251.320 251.325 251.330 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008