Oregon Revised Statutes

Or. Rev. Stat. § 254.005 (2026)

Definitions

✓ current as of May 2026
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      254.005 Definitions. As used in this chapter:

      (1) “Ballot” means any material on which votes may be cast for candidates or measures. In the case of a recall election, “ballot” includes material posted in a voting compartment or delivered to an elector by mail.

      (2) “Chief elections officer” means the:

      (a) Secretary of State, regarding a candidate for a state office or an office to be voted on in the state at large or in a congressional district, or a measure to be voted on in the state at large.

      (b) County clerk, regarding a candidate for a county office, or a measure to be voted on in a county only.

      (c) City clerk, auditor or recorder, regarding a candidate for a city office, or a measure to be voted on in a city only.

      (3) “County clerk” means the county clerk or the county official in charge of elections.

      (4) “Elector” means an individual qualified to vote under section 2, Article II, Oregon Constitution.

      (5) “Major political party” means a political party that has qualified as a major political party under ORS 248.006.

      (6) “Measure” includes any of the following submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at an election:

      (a) A proposed law.

      (b) An Act or part of an Act of the Legislative Assembly.

      (c) A revision of or amendment to the Oregon Constitution.

      (d) Local, special or municipal legislation.

      (e) A proposition or question.

      (7) “Minor political party” means a political party that has qualified as a minor political party under ORS 248.008.

      (8) “Nonpartisan office” means the office of judge of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, circuit court or the Oregon Tax Court, 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 surveyor, county treasurer, county judge who exercises judicial functions, sheriff, district attorney or any office designated nonpartisan by a home rule charter.

      (9) “Prospective petition” means the information, except signatures and other identification of petition signers, required to be contained in a completed petition.

      (10) “Regular district election” means the election held each year for the purpose of electing members of a district board as defined in ORS 255.005 (2).

      (11) “Vote tally system” means one or more pieces of equipment necessary to examine and tally automatically the marked ballots.

      (12) “Voting machine” means any device that will record every vote cast on candidates and measures and that will either internally or externally total all votes cast on that device. [1979 c.190 §224; 1983 c.392 §5; 1983 c.567 §15; 1985 c.324 §2; 1987 c.707 §16; 1993 c.493 §95; 1995 c.92 §5; 1995 c.107 §2; 1995 c.607 §79; 1999 c.410 §43; 2001 c.430 §2; 2005 c.731 §4; 2005 c.797 §67; 2007 c.154 §19; 2009 c.491 §7; 2010 c.18 §3; 2011 c.731 §13]

 

      254.007 [1999 c.410 §39; 2001 c.805 §4; repealed by 2007 c.154 §67]

 

      254.010 [Repealed by 1957 c.608 §231]

 

      254.015 [1973 c.283 §4; 1977 c.487 §1; repealed by 1979 c.190 §431]

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1986–2021 · leading case: City of Eugene v. Roberts, 756 P.2d 630 (Or. 1988).
City of Eugene v. Roberts, 756 P.2d 630 (Or. 1988). · cites it 6× “The definition of "ballot" in ORS 254.005(1) supports our position: "`Ballot' means any material on which votes may be cast for candidates or measures.”
De Young v. Brown, 443 P.3d 642 (Or. Ct. App. 2019). · cites it 2× “610, and, in that court's view, ORS 254.005 defines "electors" as those qualified to vote in an election, rather than those who, in fact, voted.”
Harisay v. Clarno, 474 P.3d 378 (Or. 2020). “005(3)(e); ORS 254.005(6)(e) (both defining “measure” to include a “proposition or question”).”
Sawyer v. Chapman, 729 P.2d 1220 (Kan. 1986). · cites it 2× “805 as amended [temporarily codified as notes preceding Or. Rev. Stat. § 254.005 (1986)]); Washington ( Wash.”
Bowers v. Betschart, 496 P.3d 1034 (Or. Ct. App. 2021). “” Thus, the text of that provi- sion directs the county clerk—the official who is responsible for submitting county charter amendments to the electors, see ORS 254.005(2)(b) (defining “[c]hief elections officer” as the “[c]ounty clerk, regarding * * * a measure to be voted on in…”
City of Eugene v. Roberts, 756 P.2d 643 (Or. Ct. App. 1988). “ORS 254.005(7) provides: “ ‘Measure’ includes any of the following submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at an election: “(a) A proposed law.”
Kinney v. O'Connor, 907 P.2d 257 (Or. Ct. App. 1996). “The Supreme Court held that the advisory question was not a “measure” within the meaning of ORS 254.005(7), which defines “measure” as something submitted to the people for the “approval or rejection” at an election, because it permitted a choice between only “approval and…”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 254.005(1) — 1 case
City of Eugene v. Roberts, 756 P.2d 630 (Or. 1988). “The definition of "ballot" in ORS 254.005(1) supports our position: "`Ballot' means any material on which votes may be cast for candidates or measures.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 254.005(2)(b) — 1 case
Bowers v. Betschart, 496 P.3d 1034 (Or. Ct. App. 2021). “” Thus, the text of that provi- sion directs the county clerk—the official who is responsible for submitting county charter amendments to the electors, see ORS 254.005(2)(b) (defining “[c]hief elections officer” as the “[c]ounty clerk, regarding * * * a measure to be voted on in…”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 254.005(4) — 1 case
De Young v. Brown, 443 P.3d 642 (Or. Ct. App. 2019). “610, and, in that court's view, ORS 254.005 defines "electors" as those qualified to vote in an election, rather than those who, in fact, voted.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 254.005(6)(e) — 1 case
Harisay v. Clarno, 474 P.3d 378 (Or. 2020). “005(3)(e); ORS 254.005(6)(e) (both defining “measure” to include a “proposition or question”).”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 254.005(7) — 3 cases
City of Eugene v. Roberts, 756 P.2d 630 (Or. 1988). “The definition of "ballot" in ORS 254.005(1) supports our position: "`Ballot' means any material on which votes may be cast for candidates or measures.”
City of Eugene v. Roberts, 756 P.2d 643 (Or. Ct. App. 1988). “ORS 254.005(7) provides: “ ‘Measure’ includes any of the following submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at an election: “(a) A proposed law.”
Kinney v. O'Connor, 907 P.2d 257 (Or. Ct. App. 1996). “The Supreme Court held that the advisory question was not a “measure” within the meaning of ORS 254.005(7), which defines “measure” as something submitted to the people for the “approval or rejection” at an election, because it permitted a choice between only “approval and…”
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