Definitions

As used in state election manuals, unless the context requires otherwise, the following terms mean:

Act
A bill that has been passed by both houses of the legislature and has either been signed by the Governor, or not vetoed by the Governor within the time provided for the Governor to veto or sign the bill. A bill becomes an Act when it has been signed by the Governor or has become law without the Governor’s signature.

Appropriate Elections Filing Officer/Official
The person with whom the candidate or political committee files the appropriate forms:

State Candidate or Measure—Elections Division, Secretary of State’s Office
County Candidate or Measure—County Elections Official
City Candidate or Measure—City Recorder/Auditor
District Candidate or Measure—County Elections Official. (For a district located in more than one county, the County Elections Official of the county in which the administrative office of the district is located.)

As of January 1, 2007, all state and local candidates file their Statement of Organization and contribution and expenditure transactions with the Secretary of State, Elections Division. A local candidate should check with their local jurisdiction (e.g. a city or county) as it may adopt ordinances that require a committee to also file campaign finance transactions with the local jurisdiction.

Assembly of Electors
A gathering of registered voters in one place at one time to nominate candidates to partisan office.

Business Days
Regular work days (calendar days excluding weekends and legal holidays as provided in ORS 187.010 and 187.020.)

Candidate
An individual whose name is printed or expected to be printed on the ballot, an individual who campaigns for write-in votes, or an individual who collects or spends money to secure nomination or election to office at any time, even if the specific office is not indicated and the candidate’s name does not appear on a ballot. “Candidate” for purposes of ORS chapter 260 does not include a candidate for precinct committee person.

Candidate Committee
A political committee formed by an individual running for public office.

Chief Petitioner
The individual responsible for the preparation and organization of an initiative, recall or referendum petition. No more than three persons may be designated as chief petitioners for any one initiative or referendum petition. For a recall petition, there is only one chief petitioner.

Circulator
Any person who carries cover and signatures sheets to obtain and witness the collection of signatures.

City Offices
The elected public offices of a city which may be voted on only by the registered voters of the city. City offices typically include a Mayor, four City Councilors, a municipal Judge and other officers the city council considers necessary for the conduct of business. (The offices may vary depending upon the city’s charter and ordinances. Contact the city elections filing officer for any questions regarding city offices.)

Committee
A political committee or a chief petitioner committee.

Committee Director
Any person who directly and substantially participates in decision-making on behalf of a political committee concerning the solicitation or expenditure of funds and the support of or opposition to candidates or measures. The officers of a political party are considered the directors of any political party committee of that party, unless otherwise provided in the party’s bylaws.

Committee Identification Number
The six-digit number assigned to Oregon committees registered with the Elections Division.

Completed Petition
A completed petition is either of the following:

the prospective initiative or referendum petition where the chief petitioners have submitted 100% of the signatures required for verification
a candidate petition containing 100% of the certified signatures necessary to obtain ballot access

County Offices
The elected public offices of a county which may be voted on only by the registered voters of the county. County offices typically include County Commissioners, County Assessor, County Clerk, County Sheriff and County Treasurer. The offices may vary depending upon the county’s charter and ordinances. Contact the county elections filing officer for any questions regarding county offices.

District Offices
The elected public offices of a special district (such as a school or water district) which may be voted on only by the registered voters of the special district. District offices typically include a board of directors. The offices may vary depending upon the district’s statutory requirements. Contact the county elections filing officer for any questions about district offices.

Electoral District
An area within the state, county, city or district that is designated to be governed or represented by a particular elected public office.

Electors
Active registered voters in the State of Oregon.

Federal Offices
President, Vice President, United States Senator or United States Representative.

Filing Officer
See “Appropriate Elections Filing Officer/Official.”

Initiative Petition
An initiative petition, including complete text, cover and signature sheet, which has received written approval to circulate from the filing officer but has not yet qualified for the ballot.

Local Office or Measure
Any office or measure to be voted upon by the registered voters of a county, city or special district.

Measure
Includes any of the following submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at an election:

an Act or part of an Act of the Legislative Assembly
a county, city or special district legislation
a proposed law
a proposition or question
a proposed revision or amendment to the Oregon Constitution

Measure Committee
A political committee organized exclusively to support or oppose one or more measures certified to a ballot in Oregon.

Nonaffiliated Candidate
A candidate filing for a partisan office by Assembly of Electors or Individual Electors. A nonaffiliated candidate cannot have been a member of any political party during the last 180 days before the deadline for filing the certificate of nomination.

Nonpartisan Office
An office for which the candidate does not run under the name of any political party. Nonpartisan offices include: Judge (Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Tax Court , Circuit Court and County Judge who exercises judicial functions), Superintendent of Public Instruction, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries, any elected office of a metropolitan service district under ORS chapter 268, Justice of the Peace, County Clerk, County Assessor, County Treasurer, Sheriff, District Attorney and any office designated nonpartisan by a home rule charter or ordinance. Special District offices are also nonpartisan.

OAR
Oregon Administrative Rules.

Open Office
An office that would normally appear on the upcoming election ballot because the term of office is complete.

ORS
Oregon Revised Statutes.

Partisan Office
An office for which the candidate may be nominated by a major or minor political party or as a nonaffiliated candidate.

Person
An individual, corporation, limited liability company, labor organization, association, firm, partnership, joint stock company, club, organization or other combination of individuals having collective capacity.

Petition Committee
A committee formed by the chief petitioners of an initiative, referendum or recall petition. A petition committee may be designated to support only one initiative, referendum, or recall petition. A petition committee is not a political committee.

Political Committee
A combination of two or more individuals, or a person other than an individual, that has received a contribution or made an expenditure for the purpose of supporting or opposing a candidate, measure or political party. Expenditure does not include a contribution to a candidate or political committee required to report the contribution or an independent expenditure that is required to be reported. Political committee also includes an individual who solicits and receives a contribution. A chief petitioner committee is not a political committee.

Political Party Committee
A political committee organized by a political party which has appropriately filed its organizational documents with the Secretary of State under ORS 248.007 or 248.009.

Presidential Elector
A member of the Electoral College who, under the provisions of the United States Constitution, meets after a presidential election (in December) to select the next President and Vice President of the United States.

Prospective Petition

Candidate—The information and filing forms, except signatures and other identification of petition signers, required to be contained in a completed petition.
Local (City, County, District)—The information and filing forms, except signatures and other identification of petition signers, required to be contained in a completed petition.
Statewide—A prospective initiative or referendum petition, which has been filed and accepted by the Elections Division’s office, but has not received written approval to circulate, from the Elections Division.

Public Office
Any federal, state, county, city or district office or position, except a political party office, filled by electors.

Recall Petition
A petition by electors to place a question on a special recall election ballot regarding whether a specified public officer should be removed from office.

Referral
A resolution prepared by the Oregon legislature or a local governing body to place a question on the ballot for electors to decide.

Referendum Petition
A petition by electors to approve or reject legislation adopted by the Oregon legislature or the governing body of a county, city or district.

Registered Voter
A resident of the State of Oregon who:

is a US citizen
is 18 years of age or older
is registered more than 20 calendar days before the election

Regularly Published Publication
A publication published on a recurring basis according to a time schedule that bears no relation to an election.

State Measure
A measure to be voted on by the registered voters of the entire state.

State Offices
Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Judge (Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Tax Court, Circuit Court and any County Judge who exercises judicial functions), State Senator, State Representative or District Attorney.

Statewide Offices
The elected public offices of the State of Oregon which are voted on by all the registered voters of the state (Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Supreme Court Judge, Court of Appeals Judge and Tax Court Judge).

Text
Actual language of proposed new constitutional, statutory, charter or ordinance amendment to be initiated or referred.

Treasurer
A person appointed by a candidate or political committee to manage and report the contributions and expenditures of the candidate or political committee. A treasurer must perform all the duties prescribed for a candidate or political committee under ORS 260.005 and 260.035 to 260.156.

Vacant Office
An office that has been vacated by retirement, resignation, recall or death that would not normally be printed on the upcoming ballot.

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