Information on Initiative, Referendum and Recall Petitions

Initiative & Referendum Process and Information

Multnomah County Initiative and Referendum Petition Information

• Initiative and Referendum Manual (PDF) - County, City & District (produced by the Oregon Secretary of State's office)
• Multnomah County Home Rule Charter (PDF)
• Multnomah County Code
  • Chapter 5: Elections
• Initiative procedures

Multnomah County Petition signature requirements

• Total votes for Governor in Multnomah County: 289,670 (Nov 2014)
• Charter amendments initiative: 23,174 (8%)
• Ordinance initiative: 17,381 (6%)
• Referendum: 11,587 (4%)

Metro Petition signature requirements

• Total votes for Governor in Metro District (portions of Multnomah, Clackamas & Washington county): 569,396 (Nov. 2014)
• Charter amendment by initiative: 45,552 (8%)
• Ordinance by initiative: 34,124 (6%)
• Petition by Referendum: 22,776 (4%)

Petition Information for other Districts

• For State of Oregon petitions please contact the Elections Division Oregon Secretary of State's office 
• For special district initiative and referendum petition numbers, please contact Multnomah County Elections.
• For City initiative and referendum petition numbers, please contact the city elections clerk.
• Link to petition filings City of Portland and State of Oregon

Initiative & Referendum Petition Log

Multnomah County I & R Log

• Active Petition Information
  • MultCoInit-04
    • 4/3/2017 - Prospective Petition MultCoInit-04 (331.81 KB) 
    • 4/13/2017 - MultCoInit-04 Ballot Title and Explanatory Statement (106.77 KB)  - Ballot title and explanatory statement received from County Attorney's Office.
      • Notice of Multnomah Co Initiative Ballot Title & Explanatory Statement - MultCoInit-04
      • 0​4/25/2017 - ​ Challenge #1 to ballot title & explanatory statement - MultCoInit-04 (512.81 KB)
      • 05/04/2017 -  Response to ballot title challenge - MultCoInit-04 (321.77 KB)
    • 6/08/2017 -  SEL 307 and amended SEL 370 - MultCoInit-04 (65.19 KB)
    • 6/13/2017 -  Amended SEL 370 MultCoInit-04 2017-06-13 (38.42 KB)
    • 6/15/2017 -  Order denying petitioners challenge to the ballot title & explanatory statement for initiative MultCoInit-04 (209.13 KB)
    • 6/20/2017 -  Approval letter for Circulation - MultCoInit-04 (69.67 KB)
• Historical Petition information
  • MultCoInit-03
    • 6/7/2016 - Prospective Petition MultCoInit-03 (302.68 KB)
      • Amended Prospective Petition MultCoInit-03 (433.1 KB)
    • 6/17/2016 - Notice of Ballot Title & Explanatory Statement for MultCoInit-03
      • 6/29/2016 - Challenge #1 to ballot title & explanatory statement - MultCoInit-03 (346.75 KB)
      • 6/29/2016 -  Challenge #2 to ballot title & explanatory statement - MultCoInit-03 (789.7 KB)
    • 8/1/2016 -  Initiative Ballot Title Decision by Judge Nelson (804.23 KB)
    • 3/1/2017 - Withdrawal form SEL 375 - MultCoInit-03 (53.04 KB)
  • MultCoInit-02
    • 5/10/2016 -  Prospective Petition MultCoInit-02 (448.24 KB)
    • 5/20/2016 -  Ballot Title & Explanatory Statement - MultCoInit-02 (21.64 KB)
    • 6/03/2016 - Approval letter for Circulation with forms - MultCoInit-02 (196.18 KB)
  • MultCoInit-01
    • 04/23/2015 -  Prospective Initiative Petition Filing (145.77 KB)
    • 05/06/2015 -  Ballot Title & Explanatory Statement for Initiative Petition MultCoInit-01 (101.59 KB)
    • 06/02/2015 -  Approval Letter for Circulation MultCoInit-01 (71.67 KB)
      • Circulation Forms MultCoInit-01 (163.04 KB)
      • Amended Circulation Forms - MultCoInit-01 (170.81 KB)
      • MultCoInit-01 Withdrawal (27.69 KB)
  • MultCoRef-01 (Multnomah County Referendum)
    • 12/23/2013 - Prospective Referendum Petition Filing (1.72 MB) filed.
    • 12/31/2013 - Determination Letter 12-31-2013 (30.5 KB) sent to petitioner.
    • 01/07/2014 - Stipulated order - MultCoRef-01 (32.99 KB) signed.
    • 01/08/2014 - Circulation Approval Letter MultCoRef-01 (38.18 KB) sent to petitioner for prospective referendum MultCoRef-01
    • 03/03/2014 -  Referendum decision MultCoRef-01 by Judge Bloch (982.09 KB)
    • 7/29/2015 - Appeal dismissed by Court of Appeals
  • Metro Init-01 (Metro Initiative)
    • Prospective Petition - The Local College Affordability Measure - received 1/29/2016
      • Prospective Initiative Petition - Metro - The Local College Affordability Measure (599.05 KB)
        • Determination letter sent to Metro Attorney 02-05-2016 (99.52 KB)
    • Ballot Title & Explanatory Statement - submitted by Metro Attorney 2/12/2016
      • Ballot Title & Explanatory Statement for Initiative Petition MetroInit-01 (25.33 KB)
        •  Notice of Ballot Title & Explanatory Statement
          • Ballot Challenge #1 - Ballot Title (1.71 MB) /   Ballot Challenge #1 - Explanatory Statement (1.77 MB)- filed with Multnomah County Circuit Court on 2/24/2016 related to ballot language.
          • Ballot Challenge #2 (271.16 KB) - filed with Multnomah County Circuit Court on 2/24/2016 related to single subject determination.
      • Circulation approval letter for Metro Init-01 (22.48 KB)
        • Related documents for Metro Init-01 (412.99 KB)

Recall Petition Process and Information

A public officer in an elective office may be recalled, whether elected or appointed. This is done by filing a prospective recall petition with the appropriate Elections official. City recall petitions are filed with the City Elections official. County, Metro and other Special District recall petitions located in Multnomah County are filed with Multnomah County Elections.

The prospective petition may be filed if the public office holder has served at least six months of the current term of office.  The signature requirement is 15% of the total number of votes cast in the public officer’s electoral district for all candidates for Governor at the last election at which a candidate for Governor was elected to a full term. The Chief Petitioner has 90 days from filing the prospective to collect and turn in those signatures.

Review the Campaign Finance Manual for recall reporting requirements.

• Recall Steps and Timeline Recall Steps & Timeline (24.66 KB) (PDF)

Multnomah County Recall Petition Signature Requirements

• Chair: 43,451 (15% of 289,670 votes cast for Governor - Nov 2014)
• Commissioner Dist. 1 13,456 (15% of 89,705 votes cast for Governor - Nov 2014)
• Commissioner Dist. 2: 12,122 (15% of 80,814 votes cast for Governor - Nov 2014)
• Commissioner Dist. 3: 9,886 (15% of 65,902 votes cast for Governor - Nov 2014)
• Commissioner Dist. 4: 7,988 (15% of 53,249 votes cast for Governor - Nov 2014)
• Sheriff: 43,451 (15% of 289,670 votes cast for Governor - Nov 2014)
• Auditor: 43,451 (15% of 289,670 votes cast for Governor - Nov 2014)

Petition Signature Requirements for other Districts

• For special district recall petition numbers, please contact Multnomah County Elections.
• For city recall petition numbers, please contact the city elections clerk.

Manuals

State Manuals - All of the manuals published by the Elections Division are available online.

• County, City and District Initiative and Referendum Manual
• Recall Manual

Forms

Election forms - available from Oregon Secretary of State's office

References

• Multnomah County Charter
• Multnomah County Code - Elections
• ORS 255 - Special District Elections & Administrative Rules for Initiative, Referendum and Recall
• Oregon Constitution
• Metro Charter & Code
• Links to City charter/code: Fairview, Gresham, Lake Oswego, Maywood Park, Portland, Troutdale and Wood Village.