(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 shall be printed for circulation. The officer shall retain the prospective petition.
(2) The cover of an initiative or referendum petition shall designate the name and residence address of not more than three persons as chief petitioners and shall contain instructions for persons obtaining signatures of electors on the petition. The instructions shall be adopted by the Secretary of State by rule. The cover of a referendum petition shall contain the title described in ORS 255.145 (1). If the circuit court has not reviewed the ballot title under ORS 255.155, the cover of an initiative petition shall contain the ballot title described in ORS 255.145 (3). If the circuit court has reviewed the ballot title, the cover of the initiative petition shall contain the title certified by the court.
(3) The chief petitioners shall include with the prospective petition a statement declaring whether one or more persons will be paid money or other valuable consideration for obtaining signatures of electors on the initiative or referendum petition. After the prospective petition is filed, the chief petitioners shall notify the filing officer not later than the 10th day after any of the chief petitioners first has knowledge or should have had knowledge that:
(a) Any person is being paid for obtaining signatures, when the statement included with the prospective petition declared that no such person would be paid.
(b) No person is being paid for obtaining signatures, when the statement included with the prospective petition declared that one or more such persons would be paid.
(4)(a) Each sheet of signatures on an initiative petition shall contain the caption of the ballot title. Each sheet of signatures on a referendum petition shall contain the number of the ordinance to be referred and the date it was adopted by the district board.
(b) Each sheet of signatures on an initiative or referendum petition shall, if one or more persons will be paid for obtaining signatures of electors on the petition, contain a notice stating: “Some Circulators For This Petition Are Being Paid.”
(5) The reverse side of the cover of an initiative or referendum petition shall be used for obtaining signatures on an initiative or referendum petition.
(6) Not more than 20 signatures on the signature sheet of the initiative or referendum petition shall be counted. The circulator shall certify on each signature sheet that the circulator:
(a) Witnessed the signing of the signature sheet by each individual whose signature appears on the signature sheet; and
(b) Believes each individual is an elector registered in the district.
(7) If the gathering of signatures exceeds the period of one year from the time the petition is approved for circulation, any of the chief petitioners, on or before the anniversary of approval of the petition for circulation:
(a) Shall file annually with the elections officer a statement that the initiative petition is still active; and
(b) May submit to the elections officer for verification any signatures gathered on the petition in the preceding year.
(8) Not later than 30 days before the date that the chief petitioners must file a statement and submit signatures under subsection (7) of this section, the elections officer shall notify the chief petitioners in writing of the requirements of subsection (7) of this section. The notice shall be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested.
(9) The elections officer shall not accept for filing any petition which has not met the provisions of subsection (7) of this section.
(10) The person obtaining signatures on the petition shall carry at least one full and correct copy of the measure to be initiated or referred and shall allow any person to review a copy upon request of the person. [1979 c.190 §292; 1981 c.909 §8; 1983 c.756 §12; 1991 c.106 §3; 1992 c.1 §4; 1995 c.607 §48; 1997 c.846 §4; 1999 c.318 §30; 2001 c.965 §7; 2007 c.848 §18]
Section: Previous 255.075 255.080 255.085 255.090 255.095 255.115 255.125 255.135 255.140 255.145 255.155 255.165 255.175 255.185 255.195 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008