Electoral reform in Oregon
Encyclopedia
Electoral reform in Oregon refers to efforts to change election and voting laws
in the West Coast
state of Oregon
.
wants to change the state's electoral system to allow instant-runoff voting
and proportional representation
, noting that both are already mentioned in Article 2, Section 16 of the Oregon Constitution
. A bill (SB29) to enable instant-runoff voting for local municipalities was introduced in the 2009 session of the Oregon Legislative Assembly
, but it died in a Senate
committee.
Both the Oregon Progressive Party and Independent Party of Oregon
want to transform the Oregon State Legislature from a bicameral legislature to a unicameral legislature like the Nebraska Legislature
by abolishing the Oregon State Senate
and folding its duties into the Oregon House of Representatives
. Historically speaking, the idea of a unicameral legislature in Oregon has been proposed before as William Simon U'Ren also favored the idea of making the Oregon Legislative Assembly unicameral when he sponsored a measure (Ballot Measure 31) in 1912 that would have abolished the Oregon State Senate, but the measure was rejected by voters. The Oregon State Legislature's Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature
report also considered a unicameral approach and recommended the state adopt a nonpartisan blanket primary. The Oregon Senate rejected the nonpartisan blanket primary in May 2007 and in November 2008 the majority of Oregon citizens in every county also rejected the blanket primary measure when it was brought to the state ballot in the form of Oregon Ballot Measure 65 (2008)
.
In 1998, Oregon voters overwhelmingly passed Ballot Measure 60, placed on the ballot by petition, to conduct all future elections as vote-by-mail
elections. Oregon became the first U.S. state to conduct all its elections by mail.
The state began to allow electoral fusion
after the Oregon Legislative Assembly passed Senate Bill 326 and Governor
Ted Kulongoski
signed it on July 8, 2009.
and designate Oregon's electoral votes to the ticket winning the popular vote nationwide. The bill later died in a Senate committee, but lawmakers said they will pursue it again in the 2011 legislative session.
allows for a broader right to free speech than at the federal level with the Oregon Supreme Court
consistently ruling that campaign contribution limits are a violation of free speech and striking down many laws and ballot measures that enacted contribution limits. As a result of these rulings, Oregon is one of the only 6 states that have no campaign contribution limits of any kind.
The most recent attempt to enact campaign contribution limits was Ballot measures 46 and 47
in 2006. Measure 47 passed, but 46 did not, and in the absence of the kind of Constitutional support it would have provided, 47 did not take effect.
Portland, Oregon
also has a publicly financed campaign option for its city elections known as Clean Elections
.
in 1984 by bringing homeless people to their ranch to register them to vote days before an election passed and amended the state constitution to restrict voter registration to 20 calendar days before an election. In 2008 the Oregon Senate introduced a bill to re-allow Election Day voter registration by repealing the 20 day restriction, but the bill did not pass and other lawmakers have announced they will take up the proposal in the next legislative session.
The Oregon Legislative Assembly adopted a bill allowing for online voter registration in 2009 and it went into effect in March 2010.
Electoral reform
Electoral reform is change in electoral systems to improve how public desires are expressed in election results. That can include reforms of:...
in the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
Alternate voting systems
There have been many organizations seeking to change Oregon's electoral systems and laws over the years. The Green Party of OregonPacific Green Party
The Pacific Green Party of Oregon is a political party in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is a member of the Green Party of the United States.The party first gained widespread public attention during Ralph Nader's presidential campaign in 2000....
wants to change the state's electoral system to allow instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting , also known as preferential voting, the alternative vote and ranked choice voting, is a voting system used to elect one winner. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their ballots are counted as one vote for their first choice candidate. If a candidate secures a...
and proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
, noting that both are already mentioned in Article 2, Section 16 of the Oregon Constitution
Oregon Constitution
The Oregon Constitution is the governing document of the U.S. state of Oregon, originally enacted in 1857. As amended the current state constitution contains eighteen sections, beginning with a bill of rights. This contains most of the rights and privileges granted in the United States Bill of...
. A bill (SB29) to enable instant-runoff voting for local municipalities was introduced in the 2009 session of the Oregon Legislative Assembly
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
, but it died in a Senate
Oregon State Senate
The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...
committee.
Both the Oregon Progressive Party and Independent Party of Oregon
Independent Party of Oregon
The Independent Party of Oregon is a political party in the U.S. state of Oregon. The IPO is Oregon's third-largest political party and the largest minor party of the state, with 68,516 registrants since its inception in January 2007 making up 3.37% of Oregon's registered voters...
want to transform the Oregon State Legislature from a bicameral legislature to a unicameral legislature like the Nebraska Legislature
Nebraska Legislature
The Nebraska Legislature is the supreme legislative body of the State of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The Legislature meets at the Nebraska State Capitol in the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County....
by abolishing the Oregon State Senate
Oregon State Senate
The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...
and folding its duties into the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
. Historically speaking, the idea of a unicameral legislature in Oregon has been proposed before as William Simon U'Ren also favored the idea of making the Oregon Legislative Assembly unicameral when he sponsored a measure (Ballot Measure 31) in 1912 that would have abolished the Oregon State Senate, but the measure was rejected by voters. The Oregon State Legislature's Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature
Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature
The Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature was a group of 30 citizens in the U.S. state of Oregon charged with developing recommendations on how to improve the Oregon Legislative Assembly. The 2005 session of the legislature established the commission with Senate Bill 1084...
report also considered a unicameral approach and recommended the state adopt a nonpartisan blanket primary. The Oregon Senate rejected the nonpartisan blanket primary in May 2007 and in November 2008 the majority of Oregon citizens in every county also rejected the blanket primary measure when it was brought to the state ballot in the form of Oregon Ballot Measure 65 (2008)
Oregon Ballot Measure 65 (2008)
Ballot Measure 65 was an initiated state statute ballot measure for the November 4, 2008 general election ballot in the state of Oregon. If it had passed, it would have replaced the current closed primary election system, in which only registered members of a political party may vote in that...
.
In 1998, Oregon voters overwhelmingly passed Ballot Measure 60, placed on the ballot by petition, to conduct all future elections as vote-by-mail
Postal voting
Postal voting describes the method of voting in an election whereby ballot papers are distributed or returned by post to electors, in contrast to electors voting in person at a polling station or electronically via an electronic voting system....
elections. Oregon became the first U.S. state to conduct all its elections by mail.
The state began to allow electoral fusion
Electoral fusion
Electoral fusion is an arrangement where two or more political parties on a ballot list the same candidate, pooling the votes for that candidate...
after the Oregon Legislative Assembly passed Senate Bill 326 and Governor
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
Ted Kulongoski
Ted Kulongoski
Theodore R. "Ted" Kulongoski is an American politician, who served as the 36th Governor of Oregon. A Democrat, he has served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as the state Insurance Commissioner, the Attorney General, and an Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court.-Early...
signed it on July 8, 2009.
Allocation of electoral votes
Currently, Oregon's 7 electoral votes are designated to the candidate winning the statewide popular vote.National Popular Vote Interstate Compact
In March 2009, the Oregon House of Representatives passed HB 2588, a bill to join the National Popular Vote Interstate CompactNational Popular Vote Interstate Compact
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact is an agreement among U.S. states designed to replace current state rules governing the electoral college system of presidential elections with rules guaranteeing election of the national popular vote winner...
and designate Oregon's electoral votes to the ticket winning the popular vote nationwide. The bill later died in a Senate committee, but lawmakers said they will pursue it again in the 2011 legislative session.
Campaign finance
The Oregon ConstitutionOregon Constitution
The Oregon Constitution is the governing document of the U.S. state of Oregon, originally enacted in 1857. As amended the current state constitution contains eighteen sections, beginning with a bill of rights. This contains most of the rights and privileges granted in the United States Bill of...
allows for a broader right to free speech than at the federal level with the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
consistently ruling that campaign contribution limits are a violation of free speech and striking down many laws and ballot measures that enacted contribution limits. As a result of these rulings, Oregon is one of the only 6 states that have no campaign contribution limits of any kind.
The most recent attempt to enact campaign contribution limits was Ballot measures 46 and 47
Oregon Ballot Measures 46 and 47 (2006)
Oregon ballot measures 46 and 47 were two ballot measures presented as a single package to voters; 46 would have amended the Constitution to allow limitations on campaign financing ; and 47 detailed specific limitations...
in 2006. Measure 47 passed, but 46 did not, and in the absence of the kind of Constitutional support it would have provided, 47 did not take effect.
Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
also has a publicly financed campaign option for its city elections known as Clean Elections
Clean elections
"Clean Elections" is a term used to describe a particular system of government financing of political campaigns, in which the government provides a grant to candidates who agree to limit their and private fundraising efforts and limit their campaign-spending.- In the United States :Clean Election...
.
Expansion of the electorate
Oregon election laws were amended in 2007 by HB 2910 to allow 17-year-olds to "pre-register" to vote, ensuring they receive a ballot when they turn 18 and thereby increasing their likelihood of voting. There have been proposals for lowering the age threshold by one year to allow 16-year-olds to "pre-register". The state used to allow Election Day voter registration up until 1984, but a 1986 ballot measure in response to Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh's attempt to take over Wasco, CountyWasco County, Oregon
Wasco County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for a local tribe of Native Americans, the Wasco, a Chinook tribe who lived on the south side of the Columbia River. In 2010, its population was 25,213...
in 1984 by bringing homeless people to their ranch to register them to vote days before an election passed and amended the state constitution to restrict voter registration to 20 calendar days before an election. In 2008 the Oregon Senate introduced a bill to re-allow Election Day voter registration by repealing the 20 day restriction, but the bill did not pass and other lawmakers have announced they will take up the proposal in the next legislative session.
The Oregon Legislative Assembly adopted a bill allowing for online voter registration in 2009 and it went into effect in March 2010.