Oregon Revised Statutes

Or. Rev. Stat. § 250.105 (2026)

Petition filing requirements; monthly filing; signature verification; rules

✓ current as of May 2026
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      250.105 Petition filing requirements; monthly filing; signature verification; rules. (1)(a) An initiative or referendum petition relating to a state measure must be filed with the Secretary of State for the purpose of verifying whether the petition contains the required number of signatures of electors.

      (b) Signatures previously verified on a prospective petition for a state measure to be initiated shall be included in the calculation under this section for the purpose of verifying whether the initiative petition contains the required number of signatures of electors.

      (c) When filing an initiative or referendum petition, the signature sheets must be sorted on the basis of the name of the person who obtained the signatures on the sheet.

      (d) The secretary shall adopt rules establishing procedures for verifying signatures on an initiative or referendum petition.

      (e) A filed initiative or referendum petition must contain only original signatures. The secretary or county clerk shall verify each petition in the order in which the petitions are filed with the secretary.

      (2)(a) Once every month, the chief petitioner, or agent on behalf of the chief petitioner, of an initiative petition relating to a state measure shall file with the secretary all signature sheets containing signatures of electors obtained by a person being paid to obtain signatures on the petition since the previous monthly filing. The secretary shall hold all signature sheets filed under this subsection unless the chief petitioner withdraws the petition.

      (b) The secretary shall adopt rules prescribing the dates by which signature sheets must be filed each month. The secretary may not accept signature sheets containing signatures of electors obtained by a person being paid to obtain signatures on the petition before the previous monthly filing deadline prescribed under this paragraph for purposes of determining whether an initiative petition relating to a state measure contains the required number of signatures of electors under this section.

      (3) The secretary may not accept a referendum petition relating to a state measure for filing if the petition contains less than 100 percent of the required number of signatures. The secretary may not determine whether an initiative petition contains the required number of signatures of electors unless at least 100 percent of the required number of signatures have been filed with the secretary.

      (4) If the total number of signatures required on an initiative petition or referendum petition is submitted not less than 165 days before the election at which the proposed measure is to be voted upon and if the secretary determines that insufficient signatures have been submitted but the deadline for filing signatures on the petition has not passed, the petitioners may submit additional signatures.

      (5) The secretary by rule shall designate a statistical sampling technique to verify whether a petition contains the required number of signatures of electors. A petition may not be rejected for the reason that it contains less than the required number of signatures unless two separate sampling processes both establish that the petition lacks the required number of signatures. The second sampling must contain a larger number of signatures than the first sampling. If two samplings are required under this subsection, the total number of signatures verified on the petition shall be not less than five percent of the total number of signatures on the petition.

      (6) For purposes of estimating the number of duplicate signatures contained in a petition, the secretary shall apply at least an eight percent duplication rate in the first sampling of signatures on all petitions. If a second sampling of signatures is required under subsection (5) of this section, the secretary shall calculate an estimated signature duplication rate for each petition for which a second sampling is required. The calculation shall be based on the number of electors the secretary determines have signed a specific petition more than once.

      (7) When verifying signatures for a state initiative or referendum petition, the secretary or county clerk shall identify on an elector’s voter registration record or other database that the elector signed the specific initiative or referendum petition.

      (8) The Secretary of State may employ professional assistance to determine the sampling technique to be designated under subsection (5) of this section.

      (9) The Secretary of State and the county clerk, if requested, shall permit authorized persons to be at the office of the secretary or county clerk to watch the verification of signatures on a state initiative petition or prospective petition for a state measure to be initiated under this section. The authorization shall be in writing and shall be filed with the secretary or county clerk. The secretary or county clerk shall permit only as many persons as watchers under this subsection as will not interfere with an orderly procedure at the office of the secretary or county clerk. [1979 c.190 §149; 1985 c.447 §7; 1989 c.68 §6; 1999 c.1021 §1; 2007 c.848 §11; 2009 c.533 §8; 2009 c.720 §5; 2013 c.519 §2]

 

      250.110 [Amended by 1953 c.632 §6; 1957 c.608 §126; 1961 c.170 §2; subsection (7) enacted as 1967 c.26 §4; 1977 c.508 §6; 1979 c.190 §237; renumbered 254.135]

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 17 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1984–2026 · leading case: Leo v. Keisling, 964 P.2d 1023 (Or. 1998).
Leo v. Keisling, 964 P.2d 1023 (Or. 1998). · cites it 12× “We conclude that, in this case, the provision of OAR 165-014-0030 (the “acceptance/rejection limit” in Appendix I) that allows the Secretary of State to qualify an initiative petition for the ballot even though the Secretary of State is up to 80 percent certain that the petition…”
State ex rel Sajo v. Paulus, 688 P.2d 367 (Or. 1984). · cites it 5× “ORS 250.105 directs the Secretary of State to designate by rule a statistical sampling technique to be used in the verification procedure.”
State Ex Rel. Fidanque v. Paulus, 688 P.2d 1303 (Or. 1984). · cites it 2× “ORS 250.105, ORS 254.085. Normally the manner and timing of judicial review is itself prescribed by statute.”
Nay v. Dep't of Human Servs., 385 P.3d 1001 (Or. 2016). “at 563 (quoting ORS 250.105(4)). The sampling rule promulgated by the *683 Secretary of State, however, allowed initiatives to appear on the ballot unless there was an 80 percent chance that the initiative had not met the signature requirements.”
Leo v. Keisling, 986 P.2d 562 (Or. 1999). · cites it 5× “Plaintiffs asserted that the Secretary of State’s action violated OAR 165-014-0030, ORS 250.105, and Article IV, section l(2)(b), of the Oregon Constitution.”
Oregon Educ. Ass'n v. Roberts, 721 P.2d 833 (Or. 1986). · cites it 2× “ORS 250.105(1). ORS 250.105(1) provides: “An initiative * * * petition relating to a state measure shall be filed with the Secretary of State for the purpose of verifying whether the petition contains the required number of signatures of electors.”
Caruthers v. Kroger, 227 P.3d 723 (Or. 2010). “See ORS 250.105(2); OAR 165-014-0030(5) - (16) (stating rules for statistical sampling).”
Unger v. Rosenblum, 401 P.3d 789 (Or. 2017). “1 The measure, if enacted, would amend one paragraph in ORS 250.105(1) and add another. The first paragraph would provide for digital signatures.”
Crumpton v. Roberts, 798 P.2d 1100 (Or. 1990). “” ORS 250.105 provides for filing the “initiative or referendum petition” with the Secretary of State for the purpose of verifying the signatures.”
Kucera v. Bradbury, 97 P.3d 1191 (Or. 2004). “865(5) (‘[a]ny intentional or willful violation [of the statute] shall invalidate the prospective petition’); ORS 250.105(2) (the Secretary shall not accept initiative or referendum petition if fewer than required number of signatures are submitted).”
Meyer v. Bradbury, 134 P.3d 1005 (Or. Ct. App. 2006). “ORS 250.105. The initiative petition in this case, IP 8, involves campaign financing.”
Nelson v. Keisling, 964 P.2d 284 (Or. Ct. App. 1998). · cites it 2× “865(5) (“[a]ny intentional or willful violation [of the statute] shall invalidate the prospective petition”); ORS 250.105(2) (the Secretary shall not accept initiative or referendum petition if fewer than required number of signatures are submitted).”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 250.105(1) — 5 cases
Oregon Educ. Ass'n v. Roberts, 721 P.2d 833 (Or. 1986). “ORS 250.105(1). ORS 250.105(1) provides: “An initiative * * * petition relating to a state measure shall be filed with the Secretary of State for the purpose of verifying whether the petition contains the required number of signatures of electors.”
State ex rel Sajo v. Paulus, 688 P.2d 367 (Or. 1984). “ORS 250.105 directs the Secretary of State to designate by rule a statistical sampling technique to be used in the verification procedure.”
Unger v. Rosenblum, 401 P.3d 789 (Or. 2017). “1 The measure, if enacted, would amend one paragraph in ORS 250.105(1) and add another. The first paragraph would provide for digital signatures.”
State Ex Rel. Sajo v. Paulus, 688 P.2d 367 (Or. 1984).
Unger v. Rosenblum (Or. 2017).
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 250.105(1)(d) — 1 case
Rasmussen v. Kroger, 253 P.3d 1037 (Or. 2011).
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 250.105(2) — 3 cases
Caruthers v. Kroger, 227 P.3d 723 (Or. 2010). “See ORS 250.105(2); OAR 165-014-0030(5) - (16) (stating rules for statistical sampling).”
Kucera v. Bradbury, 97 P.3d 1191 (Or. 2004). “865(5) (‘[a]ny intentional or willful violation [of the statute] shall invalidate the prospective petition’); ORS 250.105(2) (the Secretary shall not accept initiative or referendum petition if fewer than required number of signatures are submitted).”
Nelson v. Keisling, 964 P.2d 284 (Or. Ct. App. 1998). “865(5) (“[a]ny intentional or willful violation [of the statute] shall invalidate the prospective petition”); ORS 250.105(2) (the Secretary shall not accept initiative or referendum petition if fewer than required number of signatures are submitted).”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 250.105(3) — 2 cases
State ex rel Sajo v. Paulus, 688 P.2d 367 (Or. 1984). “ORS 250.105 directs the Secretary of State to designate by rule a statistical sampling technique to be used in the verification procedure.”
State Ex Rel. Sajo v. Paulus, 688 P.2d 367 (Or. 1984).
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 250.105(4) — 4 cases
Leo v. Keisling, 964 P.2d 1023 (Or. 1998). “We conclude that, in this case, the provision of OAR 165-014-0030 (the “acceptance/rejection limit” in Appendix I) that allows the Secretary of State to qualify an initiative petition for the ballot even though the Secretary of State is up to 80 percent certain that the petition…”
Nay v. Dep't of Human Servs., 385 P.3d 1001 (Or. 2016). “at 563 (quoting ORS 250.105(4)). The sampling rule promulgated by the *683 Secretary of State, however, allowed initiatives to appear on the ballot unless there was an 80 percent chance that the initiative had not met the signature requirements.”
Leo v. Keisling, 986 P.2d 562 (Or. 1999). “Plaintiffs asserted that the Secretary of State’s action violated OAR 165-014-0030, ORS 250.105, and Article IV, section l(2)(b), of the Oregon Constitution.”
Nelson v. Keisling, 964 P.2d 284 (Or. Ct. App. 1998). “865(5) (“[a]ny intentional or willful violation [of the statute] shall invalidate the prospective petition”); ORS 250.105(2) (the Secretary shall not accept initiative or referendum petition if fewer than required number of signatures are submitted).”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 250.105(5) — 1 case
Rasmussen v. Kroger, 253 P.3d 1037 (Or. 2011).
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