Ballot Measure 78 changes the time allowed for the Secretary of State to verify signature petitions from 15 days to 30 days. Ballot Measure 78 does not change the time proponents have for filing initiative or referendum petitions and makes no other change in the initiative or referendum process.
Under the best of circumstances, the task of verifying the number signatures of qualified voters within the current 15-day constitutional timeline is difficult. As the number of initiative and referendum petitions filed has increased and the process has become increasing litigious, the difficulty of meeting the timeline for signature verification has increased also.
The Secretary of State and the County Clerks, who must verify the signatures, asked for the additional 15 days. The extra time will allow them to respond to the unexpected issues that sometimes arise in the verification process and to ensure the utmost integrity in the process while still meeting the constitutional timeline. The Legislature agrees that this is a reasonable request.
Again, we urge a "Yes" vote on Ballot Measure 78.
| Committee Members: | Appointed By: |
| Senator Charles Starr | President of the Senate |
| Representative Richard Devlin | Speaker of the House |
| Representative Kevin L. Mannix | Speaker of the House |
(This Joint Legislative Committee was appointed to provide the legislative
argument in support of the ballot measure pursuant to ORS 251.245.)