Think Before You Ink
YOUR SIGNATURE IS VALUABLE
ONLY SIGN PETITIONS YOU SUPPORT!
Never sign a petition “just to get it on the ballot so people can vote on it.” Just as voting in primaries has more impact than voting in general elections, signing petitions has more impact than ballot measure voting.
HOW MANY SIGNATURES ARE NEEDED?
The threshold number for statewide petitions to become ballot measures is defined by the number of votes in the last Governor’s race for a full term. “Certification” is randomly sampling petitions, comparing signatures in the Oregon Certified Voter Registration (OCVR) database. Invalid or duplicate signatures are not counted.
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WHAT ARE PETITIONS?
Petitions can send decisions to ballots as ballot measures, if enough certified signatures are collected.
INITIATIVE
Registered voters can put issues on ballots to change laws, Oregon Revised Statutes, or to amend the Oregon State Constitution.
REFERRAL
The Legislature can refer an undecided issue or a bill they passed to voters for approval. Any bills that amend the Oregon Constitution must be referred to voters and do not require petition signatures.
REFERENDUM
Registered voters can try to reject (veto) bills passed by the Legislature by petitioning to put a referendum on the ballot. A referendum may only be filed once a bill has passed in both legislative chambers and has either been signed by the Governor or the Governor's veto deadline has elapsed. Note: A referendum petition allows voters to adopt or reject any nonemergency Act or part of a nonemergency Act.
LOOK UP WHO IS BEHIND IT
Chief Petitioners are listed on the Oregon Secretary of State Initiative, Referendum, and Referral Search page.
Chief petitioners and funders of ballot measures are not required to be Oregonians.
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Search ORESTAR for ballot measure, candidate, and PAC (political action committee) official filing and financial information.
