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County Initiative Petition Process:
Circulating an Initiative Petition (ORS 250.165)
Once the chief petitioners receive written approval of the text, cover and signature sheets from the county elections official the chief petitioners may collect the signatures needed to place the initiative on the ballot.
If the chief petitioners intend to mail cover and signature sheets to prospective signers the text must be included with each mailing.
If at any time after receiving approval to circulate the residence address of any chief petitioner changes or if the circulators pay status changes, new cover and signature sheets with the correct address must be submitted for approval.
Chief Petitioners
Before collecting signatures, the chief petitioners must review with circulators the legal requirements and guidelines for circulating an initiative. Failure to comply with the legal requirements and guidelines will result in rejection of those sheets.
See more information.
Chief Petitioners and Circulators
After reviewing the legal requirements and guidelines for circulating an initiative, the chief petitioners and circulators may circulate the petition.
- Each person collecting signatures must carry at least one full and correct copy of the text of the initiative and must allow any person to review the text upon request.
- Each signature collected must be personally witnessed by the circulator. The circulator must sign and date the certification at the bottom of the petition sheet after all the signatures on the sheet have been collected.
- The circulator must complete the date when the certification is signed and should not collect any additional signatures on that sheet unless the additional signatures are certified.
- For instructions on certifying new signatures to a petition sheet that has already been certified and dated by a circulator, see OAR 165-014-0270(4)(d).
- Circulators must not attempt to obtain signatures of a person knowing that the person signing the petition is not qualified to sign it.
- Circulators must not alter, correct, clarify or obscure on the signature sheet any information about the person who signed the signature sheet unless the person who signed the signature sheet initials after the changes are made.
- Only a signer may complete the optional information about themselves, such as their printed name, address and date signed. However, a circulator may assist a disabled signer who requests assistance in completing the optional information.
- Circulators must not offer money or any thing of value to another person to sign or not sign a petition, and must not sell or offer to sell signature sheets.
- Circulators must not accept compensation to circulate a petition that is based on the number of signatures obtained.
Warning
Violations of the circulator requirements may result in conviction of a felony with a fine of up to $125,000 and/or prison for up to 5 years.