§ ORS § 250.052Official templates of cover and signature sheets; electronic template; rules

(1)(a) For each state initiative,
referendum or recall petition, the Secretary of State shall prepare official
templates of the cover and signature sheets for the petition. Except as
provided in this section, templates of cover and signature sheets for state
initiative and referendum petitions are subject to the requirements of ORS
250.045. The templates of signature sheets to be used by persons who are being
paid to obtain signatures on the petition shall be a different color from the
sheets to be used by persons who are not being paid to obtain signatures on the
petition.

(b) For each
prospective petition for a state measure to be initiated the secretary shall
prepare official templates of the cover and signature sheets. The templates of
signature sheets to be used by persons who are being paid to obtain signatures
on the prospective petition shall be a different color from the sheets to be
used by persons who are not being paid to obtain signatures on the prospective
petition. Each signature sheet for the prospective petition shall:

(A) Contain a
notice describing the meaning of the color of the signature sheet; and

(B) If one or
more persons will be paid for obtaining signatures of electors on the
prospective petition, contain a notice stating: “Some Circulators For This
Prospective Petition Are Being Paid.” The notice shall be in boldfaced type and
shall be prominently displayed on the sheet.

(2) A person
obtaining signatures on a state initiative, referendum or recall petition or a
prospective petition for a state measure to be initiated may use only the cover
and signature sheets contained in the official templates prepared for the
petition or prospective petition. A person who is being paid to obtain
signatures on the petition or prospective petition shall use the signature
sheet template designated for use by persons being paid to obtain signatures. A
person who is not being paid to obtain signatures on the petition or
prospective petition shall use the signature sheet template designated for use
by persons who are not being paid to obtain signatures.

(3)(a) The
secretary shall issue templates for a petition or prospective petition only to
a chief petitioner of the petition or prospective petition or to an agent
designated by a chief petitioner.

(b) If the ballot
title for a state initiative petition has been challenged under ORS 250.085,
the secretary may not issue an official template for the initiative petition
until the Supreme Court has certified a final ballot title.

(4) The secretary
shall issue official templates to a chief petitioner or designated agent not
later than:

(a) Three
business days after the deadline for filing a petition under ORS 250.085
relating to a ballot title certified by the Attorney General for the state
initiative petition or, if a petition is filed with the Supreme Court under ORS
250.085, three business days after the Supreme Court certifies to the secretary
a final ballot title for the state initiative petition;

(b) Three
business days after a prospective petition is filed under ORS 249.865 or
250.045 for a state recall petition or state referendum petition; or

(c) Three
business days after the chief petitioner files a statement with the secretary
under ORS 250.045 (2) for a prospective petition for a state measure to be
initiated.

(5) The secretary
by rule shall establish a process by which a chief petitioner of a state
initiative, referendum or recall petition or a prospective petition for a state
measure to be initiated may request a modification of the templates issued
under subsection (4) of this section.

(6)(a) In
addition to the templates prepared under subsections (1) to (5) of this
section, for each state initiative, referendum or recall petition or
prospective petition, the secretary shall prepare an official electronic
template of a signature sheet for the petition or prospective petition.

(b)(A) A template
prepared under this subsection shall provide space for the signature of one
elector to:

(i) Signify
support for the state initiative, referendum or recall petition or prospective
petition; and

(ii) Certify that
the elector received a copy of the electronic signature sheet in compliance
with paragraph (c)(B) of this subsection.

(B) The Secretary
of State or county clerk may tally only electronic signature sheets that are
signed.

(c)(A) An elector
may print a copy of the electronic signature sheet for a petition or
prospective petition, sign the sheet and deliver the signed sheet to a chief
petitioner or an agent designated by a chief petitioner.

(B) Only an
elector who either has personally printed a copy of the electronic signature
sheet of a petition or prospective petition or has requested that a separate
person print a copy of the electronic signature sheet specifically for the
elector may sign the sheet. A copy of an electronic signature sheet may not be
signed by an elector who did not either print the sheet or request that the
sheet be printed specifically for the elector.

(d) Electronic
templates described in this subsection are subject to the requirements of ORS
250.045, other than ORS 250.045 (9) and (10), and the template must include a
full and correct copy of the measure to be initiated or referred.

(e) Except as
provided in paragraph (c)(B) of this subsection, a person who is obtaining
signatures on a petition or prospective petition, whether paid or unpaid, may
not provide a printed electronic signature sheet to an elector.

(7) The secretary
shall adopt rules prescribing the contents and method of production of official
templates required under this section. [2007 c.848 §3; 2009 c.533 §3; 2017
c.749 §14; 2018 c.70 §18; 2019 c.681 §1; 2023 c.600 §16]



250.055 [1979 c.675 §3; 1981 c.145 §1;
renumbered 250.039]



250.060 [Repealed by 1957 c.608 §231]