Case Title: Marcus v. Myers

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: oregon

Court: Oregon Supreme Court

Date: 2001-08-30T00:00:00Z

Document:
Filed: August 30, 2001
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON

LEWIS MARCUS,
		Petitioner,
	v.
HARDY MYERS,
Attorney General, State of Oregon,
	Respondent.
(SC S48622)

	On petition to review ballot title. 
	Argued and submitted on August 8, 2001.
	Lewis Marcus, pro se, argued the cause and filed the
petition.
	Janet A. Metcalf, Assistant Attorney General, Salem, argued
the cause and filed the answering memorandum for respondent. 
With her on the answering memorandum were Hardy Myers, Attorney
General, and Michael D. Reynolds, Solicitor General.
	Before Carson, Chief Justice, and Gillette, Durham, Leeson,
Riggs, and De Muniz, Justices. 
	LEESON, J.
	Ballot title referred to the Attorney General for
modification.
		LEESON, J.
		This ballot title review proceeding under ORS
250.085(2) concerns the Attorney General's certified ballot title
for a proposed initiative measure, which the Secretary of State
has denominated as Initiative Petition 54 (2002).  For the
reasons explained below, we hold that the ballot title's summary
does not comply substantially with the requirements of ORS
250.035(2)(d).  We refer the ballot title to the Attorney General
for modification.  ORS 250.085(8); Flanagan v. Myers, 332 Or 318,
323-24, ___ P3d ___ (2001) (August 2, 2001).
		The proposed initiative measure would amend Article IV,
section 1, of the Oregon Constitution, by permitting registered
voters to "sign" initiative, referendum, and recall petitions
electronically.  As relevant to petitioner's challenge, the
proposed measure would add the following text to the
constitution:
		"(a) For the purposes of this subsection, words
'Electronic Signature' or 'Signature' or 'Sign' means
Registered Voter Approval by Electronic Transmission.
		"(b) For the purposes of this subsection
'Electronic Transmission' means transmission via
computer or other means over the Internet or other
computer network to the computer receiving such
transmission.
		"(c) For the purposes of this subsection,
'Registered Voter Approval' means entry and Electronic
Transmission by a registered voter of the information
required by paragraph (f) of this subsection." 
	The Attorney General certified the following ballot
title:
"AMENDS CONSTITUTION:  ALLOWS REGISTERED
VOTERS TO SIGN INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM, AND
RECALL PETITIONS BY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION
OF 'SIGNATURE'
		"RESULT OF 'YES' VOTE:  'Yes' vote allows
registered voters to sign initiative, referendum, and
recall petitions by electronic transmission of
'signature'; continues to allow handwritten signatures.
		"RESULT OF 'NO' VOTE:  'No' vote rejects proposal
permitting registered voters to sign initiative,
referendum, and recall petitions by electronic
transmission of 'signature'; retains current law
allowing handwritten signatures.
		"SUMMARY:  Amends Constitution.  Current law
allows handwritten signatures on initiative,
referendum, and recall petitions, but does not provide
for 'signing' such petitions by electronic
transmission.  Measure allows voters to 'sign'
petitions by electronic transmission.  Electronic
transmission means computer transmission, through the
internet or other computer network.  'Electronic
signature' is not defined, but must include voter's
name and residential address, in substantial conformity
with voter registration information.  Until government
provides each voter a unique identifier, voter also
must provide contact information, such as e-mail
address, telephone number, which shall not become
public record.  Election officials must either validate
or prove signatures invalid using identifying
information provided by petition signer.  Legislature
shall review electronic-petitioning process, and create
new provisions to standardize, but not hinder, process. 
Other provisions."
(Emphasis added.)
	ORS 250.035(2)(d) requires a ballot title for a
proposed state measure to include "[a] concise and impartial
statement of not more than 125 words summarizing the state
measure and its major effect."  Petitioner challenges only the
clause emphasized above in the Attorney General's summary: 
"'Electronic signature' is not defined."  Petitioner contends
that the clause is inaccurate because subsection (a) defines
"Electronic Signature."  That subsection provides:  "For the
purposes of this subsection, words 'Electronic Signature' or
'Signature' or 'Sign' means Registered Voter Approval by
Electronic Transmission."  Subsections (b) and (c), in turn,
define the terms "Electronic Transmission" and "Registered Voter
Approval."  The Attorney General responds that, reading
subsections (a), (b), and (c) together, it is unclear how the
proposed measure defines the term "Electronic Signature."  
	The relevant meaning of "define" in this context is "to
* * * set forth the meaning of" a word or word group.  Webster's
Third New Int'l Dictionary, 592 (unabridged ed 1993).  The
proposed measure explains that, for purposes of the measure,
"Electronic Signature" means "Registered Voter Approval by
Electronic Transmission."  The meanings of "Electronic
Transmission" and "Registered Voter Approval" appear in
subsections (b) and (c) of the proposed measure.  That the
Attorney General finds the meaning of "Electronic Signature"
unclear does not mean that the proposed measure does not define
that term.  Because the proposed measure sets forth the meaning
of "Electronic Signature," the Attorney General's statement that
the term lacks a definition is inaccurate and violates the
statutory requirement that the summary be an impartial statement
summarizing the measure.  It follows that the Attorney General's
summary does not comply substantially with the requirement of ORS
250.035(2)(d).  Under ORS 250.085(8), we refer the ballot title
to the Attorney General for modification.
	Ballot title referred to the Attorney General for
modification.