Bill Text: OR SB159 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to elections.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Failed) 2013-07-08 - In committee upon adjournment. [SB159 Detail]

Download: Oregon-2013-SB159-Introduced.html

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     77th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2013 Regular Session

NOTE:  Matter within  { +  braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within  { -  braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
 { +  braces and plus signs + } .

LC 2509

                         Senate Bill 159

Printed pursuant to Senate Interim Rule 213.28 by order of the
  President of the Senate in conformance with presession filing
  rules, indicating neither advocacy nor opposition on the part
  of the President (at the request of Senate Interim Committee on
  Rules)

                             SUMMARY

The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.

  Allows agent of chief petitioner to submit signature sheets for
initiative or referendum petition to Secretary of State.

                        A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to elections; amending ORS 250.105.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
  SECTION 1. ORS 250.105 is amended to read:
  250.105. (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 { +  is filed + }, the   { - chief petitioner shall sort
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 of an initiative
petition relating to a state measure { + , or an agent on behalf
of the chief petitioner, + } 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.
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