Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Oregon

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Note: This article is not intended to serve as an exhaustive guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.

In order to get on the ballot in Oregon, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

  1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
  2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
  3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Oregon. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, see "Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Oregon." Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

DocumentIcon.jpg See state election laws

Year-specific filing information

2024

U.S. Senate

For information on candidate ballot access requirements in Oregon, click here.

U.S. House

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Oregon in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Oregon, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2024
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Oregon U.S. House Ballot-qualified party 1,000[1] $100.00 3/14/2024 Source
Oregon U.S. House Unaffiliated 1% of the average number of votes cast for all candidates for presidential electors at the last presidential election in all congressional districts N/A 8/27/2024 Source


For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.

Show more

2022

U.S. Senate

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Oregon in the 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Oregon, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2022
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Oregon U.S. Senate Major parties 1,000, including 100 signatures from each of Oregon's congressional districts $150.00 3/10/2022 Source
Oregon U.S. Senate Unaffiliated 23,744 N/A 8/30/2022 Source

U.S. House

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Oregon in the 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Oregon, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2022
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Oregon U.S. House Ballot-qualified party 1,000[2] $100.00 3/8/2022 Source
Oregon U.S. House Unaffiliated 1% of the average number of votes cast for all candidates for presidential electors at the last presidential election in all congressional districts N/A 8/30/2022 Source

Governor

The table below details filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates in Oregon in the 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Oregon, click here.

Filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates, 2022
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source Notes
Oregon Governor Major party 1,000 $100.00 3/10/2022 Source Petition signatures only required in lieu of filing fee.
Oregon Governor Unaffiliated 23,744 N/A 8/30/2022 Source

2020

U.S. Senate

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Oregon in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Oregon, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2020
State Office Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
Oregon U.S. Senate Major party N/A N/A $150.00 Fixed number 3/10/2020 Source
Oregon U.S. Senate Unaffiliated 20,014 1% of votes cast in the district for president N/A N/A 8/25/2020 Source

U.S. House

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Oregon in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Oregon, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2020
State Office Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
Oregon 1st Congressional District Major party 0 N/A $100.00 Fixed number 3/10/2020 Source
Oregon 1st Congressional District Unaffiliated 4,091 1% of votes cast in the district for president N/A N/A 8/25/2020 Source
Oregon 2nd Congressional District Major party 0 N/A $100.00 Fixed number 3/10/2020 Source
Oregon 2nd Congressional District Unaffiliated 4,050 1% of votes cast in the district for president N/A N/A 8/25/2020 Source
Oregon 3rd Congressional District Major party 0 N/A $100.00 Fixed number 3/10/2020 Source
Oregon 3rd Congressional District Unaffiliated 4,210 1% of votes cast in the district for president N/A N/A 8/25/2020 Source
Oregon 4th Congressional District Major party 0 N/A $100.00 Fixed number 3/10/2020 Source
Oregon 4th Congressional District Unaffiliated 4,163 1% of votes cast in the district for president N/A N/A 8/25/2020 Source
Oregon 5th Congressional District Major party 0 N/A $100.00 Fixed number 3/10/2020 Source
Oregon 5th Congressional District Unaffiliated 4,000 1% of votes cast in the district for president N/A N/A 8/25/2020 Source

State House

The table below details filing requirements for Oregon House of Representatives candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Oregon House of Representatives Qualified party N/A $25.00 3/10/2020 Source
Oregon House of Representatives Unaffiliated 1% of votes cast for president in the district in the last election N/A 8/25/2020 Source

State Senate

The table below details filing requirements for Oregon State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Oregon State Senate Qualified party N/A $25.00 3/10/2020 Source
Oregon State Senate Unaffiliated 1% of votes cast for president in the district in the last election N/A 8/25/2020 Source

2018

See also: State and federal candidate filing deadlines for 2018 and Oregon elections, 2018

See below for 2018 candidate filing deadlines.

March 6, 2018

2016

See also: Oregon elections, 2016

The calendar below lists important filing deadlines for political candidates in 2016.

Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016
Deadline Event type Event description
March 8, 2016 Ballot access Filing deadline for primary election candidates
May 17, 2016 Election date Primary election
August 30, 2016 Ballot access Filing deadline for unaffiliated and minor party candidates for the general election
November 8, 2016 Election date General election
Source: Oregon Secretary of State, "2016 Elections Calendar," accessed October 28, 2015

Candidate committees that expect to receive $3,500 or more in a calendar year are required to report all "transactions" via ORESTAR. Transactions include contributions, expenditures, other receipts and disbursements and all other committee financial activities. Generally, transaction reports are due no later than 30 calendar days after the date of the transaction, though there are times when transaction reports are due within seven calendar days of the date of the transaction. For more detailing information about campaign finance reporting requirements, see this manual.

2015


2014


Process to become a candidate

The first page of the major party candidate filing form, 2013

For major party candidates

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Chapter 249, Sections 020, 068 and 056 of the Oregon Revised Statutes

A major party candidate can gain access to the ballot via one of two methods: by paying a filing fee or by filing a nominating petition.

Filing fee

A candidate of a major party can have his or her name printed on the ballot by filing a declaration of candidacy with the Oregon Secretary of State and paying the requisite filing fees. Filing fees are as follows:[4][5][6]

Filing fees for major party candidates in Oregon
Office sought Fee
United States Senator $150
Governor, secretary of state, treasurer, attorney general, labor and industries commissioner, United States Representative $100
State senator and state representative $25

Nominating petition

A candidate of a major party can have his or her name printed on the ballot by filing a nominating petition with the Oregon Secretary of State. Signature requirements are as follows:[7]

Petition signature requirements for major party candidates in Oregon
Office sought Required signatures
United States Representative The lesser of 1,000 signatures or 2 percent of the number of votes cast in the district for president by members of the candidate's party*
Governor, secretary of state, treasurer, attorney general, United States Senator The lesser of 1,000 signatures or 2 percent of the number of votes cast for president by members of the candidate's party**
State senator and state representative The lesser of 500 signatures or 2 percent of the number of votes cast in the district for president by members of the candidate's party***
*"Signatures must be obtained from 5 percent of the precincts in one-fourth of the counties in the congressional district."
**"Signatures must be obtained from at least seven counties and be comprised of electors from 5 percent of the precincts in each of those counties."
***"If the district is within one county, signatures must be obtained from 10 percent of the precincts. If the district is in more than one county, signatures must be obtained from at least two counties and be comprised of electors from 6 percent of the precincts in each of those counties."

For minor party candidates

Recognized minor parties (as defined in this article) are not permitted to participate in primary elections and instead must select candidates by nominating convention.

For unaffiliated candidates

An unaffiliated candidate can gain access to the ballot via one of two methods: nomination by individual electors or nomination by an assembly of electors.

Nomination by individual electors

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Chapter 249, Section 740 of the Oregon Revised Statutes

An unaffiliated candidate must submit the appropriate filing form with the Oregon Secretary of State and obtain approval to circulate the nominating petition prior to collecting signatures. Once approval has been obtained, circulators must gather signatures equal to at least 1 percent of the total votes cast for all candidates for presidential electors in the most recent general election within the electoral district for which the nomination is being sought.[8]

The Oregon Secretary of State does not calculate in advance the number of signatures required for each office. Instead, the number of required signatures is determined when candidates obtain approval to circulate nominating petitions.[9][10]

Nomination by assembly of electors

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Chapter 249, Section 735 of the Oregon Revised Statutes

An unaffiliated candidate must submit a candidate filing form signed only by the candidate. Upon receipt of the form, the Oregon Secretary of State will review the document and provide approval to organize an assembly of electors. The candidate must coordinate with the secretary of state to determine the time of the assembly. Once scheduled, notice of the assembly must be published at least once in at least three newspapers of general circulation in the electoral district in which the assembly seeks to nominate candidates. The notice must include the time and place of the assembly, offices for which nominations will be made, and the names and addresses of at least 25 active registered voters who want the assembly held and who are eligible to participate.[11]

Final approval to convene the assembly is granted once the candidate files a copy of the published notice with the secretary of state. An affidavit verifying that notice of the assembly was published in accordance with statutory requirements must be included with the copy of the notice. This affidavit must be signed by the newspaper's owner, editor, publisher, manager, advertising manager, principal clerk of one of the aforementioned, or the printer. The secretary of state will provide a written approval to convene the assembly. This formal approval document will include a petition number, the number of signatures required, the filing deadline, and a signature sheet template.[12][13]

The assembly itself must meet the following requirements:[12]

  • The assembly must be held in one day in one location and must be completed within 12 hours.
  • Assembly participants must be active registered voters within the electoral district from which the assembly is nominating candidates.
  • Candidates may only be nominated for offices published in the notice.
  • The candidate winning the highest number of voters will be the nominee of the assembly for that office.
  • Only assembly-goers may sign the approved signature sheets.
  • All signers on a signature sheet must be registered voters in the same county.
  • Once the required number of registered voters are present, they must remain in assembly until candidates have been nominated, signature sheets signed, and the convention adjourned.

Signature requirements for nomination by an assembly of electors are described in the table below.[12]

Signature requirements for nomination by an assembly of electors in Oregon
Office sought Required signatures
United States Representative 500 signatures obtained at the assembly
Governor, secretary of state, treasurer, attorney general, United States Senator 1,000 signatures obtained at the assembly
State senator and state representative 250 signatures obtained at the assembly

Once the nomination process has been completed, the assembly is adjourned. The secretary of state collects all completed signature sheets and stamps each sheet under the last signature line signed to ensure that no additional signatures are added. Signature sheets will be then be returned to the presiding officer at the assembly, who in turn must submit the signature sheets to the appropriate county-level election official for verification. The county-level election official, upon completing the verification process, will return the forms to the presiding officer of the assembly. The candidate or presiding officer of the assembly must then submit to the Oregon Secretary of State a candidate filing form with the certificate of nomination completed by the presiding officer and secretary of the assembly and notarized, the verified signature sheets, and the proof of published notice affidavit. The Oregon Secretary of State will then determine whether the filing packet and petition are valid.[12]

For write-in candidates

Write-in candidates are not required to submit candidate filing forms in advance. In the event that a write-in candidate is nominated or elected, the election official will notify the candidate by sending a write-in candidate filing form. To accept the nomination or office, the candidate must complete, sign, and return the form to the election official.

Petition requirements

See also: Methods for signing candidate nominating petitions

In some cases, candidates may need to obtain signatures via the petition process to gain access to the ballot. This section outlines the laws and regulations pertaining to petitions and circulators in Oregon.

Format requirements

The Oregon Secretary of State produces official petition templates that candidates for state office must use. Signature sheets must be printed on standard 8.5-inch by 11-inch paper. The paper must be least 20 pounds and uncoated. The sheets may be printed on white or colored paper stock, provided that election officials are able to verify signatures easily.[14]

Signature requirements

Signers of candidate petitions are required to provide an original signature and residence or mailing address. Signers are further encouraged to print their names and the date signed. If the petition is for the nomination of a major party candidate, the signer must be a member of the same political party as the candidate. Only active registered voters may sign any petition.[14]

Circulation requirements

Circulators must personally witness each signature collected and complete a circulator certification after witnessing all signatures collected on a sheet. Circulators may be paid or unpaid, but the signature sheet must note the pay status of the circulator. The relevant statutes do not note additional requirements that circulators must meet (including residency requirements).[14]

Election-related agencies

See also: State election agencies

Oregon Secretary of State

255 Capitol Street NE, Suite 501
Salem, Oregon 97310-1306
Phone: 503-986-1518
Fax: 503-373-7414
Website: http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/
Email: elections.sos@state.or.us
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Term limits

State executives

State Executive Officials
See also: State executives with term limits and States with gubernatorial term limits

State executive term limits are established in Article 5, Section 1 and Article 6, Section 1 of the Oregon Constitution. The state executive term limits in Oregon are as follows:

  • The governor may serve a total of two terms and is eligible to serve for eight years out of any period of 12 years.[15]
  • The secretary of state may serve a total of two terms and is eligible to serve for eight years out of any period of 12 years.[16]
  • The treasurer may serve a total of two terms and is eligible to serve for eight years out of any period of 12 years.[16]

State legislators

See also: State legislatures with term limits

There are no term limits placed on Oregon state legislators.

Congressional partisanship

Portal:Legislative Branch
See also: List of United States Representatives from Oregon and List of United States Senators from Oregon

Below is the current partisan breakdown of the congressional delegation from Oregon.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Oregon
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 2 4 6
Republican 0 2 2
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 6 8

State legislative partisanship

Portal:State legislatures

Below is the current partisan breakdown of the state legislature of Oregon.

Oregon State Senate

Party As of January 2024
     Democratic Party 17
     Republican Party 12
     Independent 0
     Independent Party of Oregon 1
     Vacancies 0
Total 30

Oregon House of Representatives

Party As of January 2024
     Democratic Party 35
     Republican Party 24
     Other 0
     Vacancies 1
Total 60

Related legislation

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The embedded table below lists state bills affecting ballot access requirements for candidates introduced in Oregon. The following information is included for each bill:

  • State
  • Bill number
  • Official name or caption
  • Most recent action date
  • Legislative status
  • Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, simply click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.

Ballotpedia’s comprehensive Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker is the basis for this data. This user-friendly tracker covers thousands of election-related bills in state legislatures, and organizes them by topic with neutral, expert analysis from Ballotpedia’s election administration researchers.

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See also

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External links

Official state and federal links

Other information

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Petition signatures only required in lieu of a filing fee.
  2. ↑ Petition signatures only required in lieu of a filing fee.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Oregon Secretary of State, "2014 Election Calendar," accessed November 14, 2013
  4. ↑ Oregon Revised Statutes, "Chapter 249, Section 020," accessed January 10, 2014
  5. ↑ Oregon Revised Statutes, "Chapter 249, Section 035," accessed January 10, 2014
  6. ↑ Oregon Revised Statutes, "Chapter 249, Section 056," accessed January 10, 2014
  7. ↑ Oregon Revised Statutes, "Chapter 249, Section 068," accessed January 10, 2014
  8. ↑ Oregon Revised Statutes, "Chapter 249, Section 740," accessed January 10, 2014
  9. ↑ Jerrick Adams, "Email communication with the Oregon Secretary of State," January 2014
  10. ↑ Oregon Secretary of State, "Statistical Summary - November 6, 2012, General Election," accessed January 28, 2014
  11. ↑ Oregon Revised Statutes, "Chapter 257, Section 013," accessed January 27, 2014
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Oregon Revised Statutes, "Chapter 249, Section 735," accessed January 13, 2014
  13. ↑ Oregon Revised Statutes, "Chapter 249, Section 737," accessed January 13, 2014
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Oregon Secretary of State, "Minor Political Party Manual - 2014," accessed January 13, 2014
  15. ↑ Constitution of Oregon, "Article 5, Section 1," accessed January 10, 2014
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Constitution of Oregon, "Article 6, Section 1," accessed January 10, 2014
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