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Oregon Revised Statutes

Or. Rev. Stat. § 254.135 (2026)

Contents of official general or special election ballot

✓ current as of May 2026
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      254.135 Contents of official general or special election ballot. (1) The official general or special election ballot shall be styled “Official Ballot” and shall state:

      (a) The name of the county for which it is intended.

      (b) The date of the election.

      (c) The names of all candidates for offices to be filled at the election whose nominations have been made and accepted and who have not died, withdrawn or become disqualified. The ballot may not contain the name of any other person.

      (d) The number, ballot title and financial estimates under ORS 250.125 of any measure to be voted on at the election.

      (2) The names of candidates for President and Vice President of the United States shall be printed in groups together, with their political party designations. The names of the electors may not be printed on the general election ballot. A vote for the candidates for President and Vice President is a vote for the group of presidential electors supporting those candidates and selected as provided by law. The general election ballot shall state that electors of President and Vice President are being elected and that a vote for the candidates for President and Vice President shall be a vote for the electors supporting those candidates.

      (3)(a) The name of each candidate nominated shall be printed on the ballot in but one place, without regard to how many times the candidate may have been nominated, except in circumstances where a candidate may hold more than one office or nomination without violating ORS 249.013. The name of a political party, or names of political parties, shall be printed with the name of a candidate for other than nonpartisan office according to the following rules:

      (A) For a candidate not affiliated with a political party who is nominated by a minor political party, the name of the minor political party shall be printed with the name of the candidate;

      (B) For a candidate not affiliated with a political party who is nominated by more than one minor political party, the names of not more than three minor political parties selected by the candidate shall be printed with the name of the candidate;

      (C) For a candidate who is a member of a political party who is nominated by a political party of which the candidate is not a member, the name of the political party that nominated the candidate shall be printed with the name of the candidate;

      (D) For a candidate who is a member of a political party who is nominated by more than one political party of which the candidate is not a member, the names of not more than three political parties selected by the candidate shall be printed with the name of the candidate;

      (E) For a candidate who is nominated only by a political party of which the candidate is a member, the name of the political party of which the candidate is a member shall be printed with the name of the candidate; and

      (F) For a candidate who is nominated by a political party of which the candidate is a member and by any political party or parties of which the candidate is not a member, the name of the political party of which the candidate is a member and the names of not more than two other political parties selected by the candidate shall be printed with the name of the candidate.

      (b) If a candidate is required to select the name of a political party to be printed on the ballot under paragraph (a) of this subsection, the candidate shall notify the filing officer of the selection not later than the 61st day before the day of the election.

      (c) The word “incumbent” shall be printed with the name of each candidate for the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Oregon Tax Court or circuit court who is designated the incumbent by the Secretary of State under ORS 254.085.

      (d) The word “nonaffiliated” shall be printed with the name of each candidate who is not affiliated with a political party and who is nominated by an assembly of electors or individual electors.

      (e) If two or more candidates for the same office have the same or similar surnames, the location of their places of residence shall be printed with their names to distinguish one from another.

      (4) Notwithstanding subsection (3)(a) of this section, the name of a candidate nominated for more than one district office that is to be filled at the same election shall be separately printed upon the ballot for each district office for which the candidate is nominated. [Formerly 250.110; 1983 c.7 §5; 1985 c.742 §3; 1991 c.971 §12; 1993 c.493 §38; 1995 c.606 §7; 1999 c.410 §46; 2005 c.797 §46; 2007 c.154 §25; 2009 c.798 §2; 2012 c.102 §1; 2014 c.67 §2; 2014 c.112 §2; 2017 c.749 §28]

 

      254.140 [Amended by 1957 c.608 §176; 1973 c.392 §3; repealed by 1979 c.190 §431]

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 5 cases, 1988–2016 · leading case: Progressive Party of Oregon v. Atkins, 370 P.3d 506 (Or. Ct. App. 2016).
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Progressive Party of Oregon v. Atkins, 370 P.3d 506 (Or. Ct. App. 2016). · cites it 16× “ORS 254.135 (2009), amended by, Or Laws 2012, ch 102, § 1 set out specific requirements for the printing of ballots to be used in general and special elections.”
Libertarian Party of Oregon v. Roberts, 750 P.2d 1147 (Or. 1988). · cites it 8× “ORS 254.135. Nominees of recognized political parties have their party affiliations printed opposite their names.”
City of Eugene v. Roberts, 756 P.2d 630 (Or. 1988). · cites it 2× “The city needs the election officials in order to staff precincts and carry out the election process, whether or not the state prints the "official ballot" under ORS 254.135 and 254.145. This would conform to the legislature's assignment of city elections exclusively to the…”
State ex rel. Marbet v. Keisling, 838 P.2d 585 (Or. 1992). “5 (a measure that would require closure of the Trojan nuclear power plant at Rainier, Oregon), have filed a petition asking this court for one of two alternative forms of relief: (1) A peremptory writ of mandamus directing the respondent Secretary of State to “(1) comply with…”
Keisling v. Myers, 171 P.3d 345 (Or. 2007). “See ORS 254.135(4) (providing that name of each candidate nominated shall be printed on ballot); ORS 249.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 254.135(2) — 1 case
Libertarian Party of Oregon v. Roberts, 750 P.2d 1147 (Or. 1988). “ORS 254.135. Nominees of recognized political parties have their party affiliations printed opposite their names.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 254.135(3) — 2 cases
Progressive Party of Oregon v. Atkins, 370 P.3d 506 (Or. Ct. App. 2016). “ORS 254.135 (2009), amended by, Or Laws 2012, ch 102, § 1 set out specific requirements for the printing of ballots to be used in general and special elections.”
Libertarian Party of Oregon v. Roberts, 750 P.2d 1147 (Or. 1988). “ORS 254.135. Nominees of recognized political parties have their party affiliations printed opposite their names.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 254.135(3)(a)(A) — 1 case
Progressive Party of Oregon v. Atkins, 370 P.3d 506 (Or. Ct. App. 2016). “ORS 254.135 (2009), amended by, Or Laws 2012, ch 102, § 1 set out specific requirements for the printing of ballots to be used in general and special elections.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 254.135(4) — 1 case
Keisling v. Myers, 171 P.3d 345 (Or. 2007). “See ORS 254.135(4) (providing that name of each candidate nominated shall be printed on ballot); ORS 249.”
— Or. Rev. Stat. § 254.135(a) — 1 case
State ex rel. Marbet v. Keisling, 838 P.2d 585 (Or. 1992). “5 (a measure that would require closure of the Trojan nuclear power plant at Rainier, Oregon), have filed a petition asking this court for one of two alternative forms of relief: (1) A peremptory writ of mandamus directing the respondent Secretary of State to “(1) comply with…”
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