OAR 165-014-0275: Completion of Optional Information on Petition Sheets

(1) The purpose of this rule is to establish standards governing what an Elections Official will review for in determining if there has been a violation of ORS 260.567. This rule applies to all state and local initiative, referendum, recall and candidate nominating petitions. (2) A petition signature sheet will be rejected for noncompliance with ORS 260.567 and not included in the sample if: (a) The same handwriting appears to have completed the optional information on all lines of the petition sheet; (b) Optional information on all lines has been entered, altered, corrected, clarified or obscured by typewriting or other mechanical means; (d) For any other reason the Elections Official determines from the face of the signature sheet that a person or persons other than the petition signers entered, altered, corrected, clarified or obscured any information about the person who signed the signature sheet, including the optional fields of printed name, residence address and date signed. (3) If the same handwriting appears to have completed the optional information on multiple lines only the first signature line will be included in the sample. All other lines will be rejected for noncompliance with ORS 260.567 and will not be included in the sample. (4) Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and (3) of this rule, a signature sheet or an individual signature line will not be rejected for noncompliance with ORS 260.567 if: (a) Each entry or change of information made by a person other than the signer, was subsequently initialed by the person who signed the signature sheet; or (b) Each entry or change of information occurred with regard to a signer who is a person with a disability who requested assistance in writing, altering, correcting, clarifying or obscuring on the petition sheet any information about the person. (5) For purposes of this rule, “optional information” means information in the optional fields of printed name, residence address and date signed.