Opinion ID: 1132565
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Qualified voters

Text: Article IV, section 1(2)(b) requires petitions to be signed by qualified voters. Eligibility to vote in elections is defined in Oregon Constitution, article II, section 2: (1) Every citizen of the United States is entitled to vote in all elections not otherwise provided for by this Constitution if such citizen: (a) Is 18 years of age or older; (b) Has resided in this state during the six months immediately preceding the election, except that provision may be made by law to permit a person who has resided in this state less than 30 days immediately preceding the election, but who is otherwise qualified under this subsection, to vote in the election for candidates for nomination or election for President or Vice President or elector of President and Vice President of the United States; and (c) Is registered prior to the election in the manner provided by law. The legislature has defined by statute the manner by which voters must be registered. ORS 247.009-247.201. Under ORS 247.012(3) registration occurs when a legible, accurate and complete registration card is received in the office of the county clerk for the county in which the person resides   . Registration may take place at any time before the poll closes. ORS 247.025. There is an obvious question how the qualification of one who signs a petition for an initiative or referendum can be verified for purposes of article IV, section 1(4)(a) when one of the requirements set forth in article II, section 2, the requirement of registration as a voter, can be satisfied until the date of the election. We note, however, that the apparent incongruity arises only from the statutes, not from the two constitutional provisions themselves. Article II, section 2 neither requires nor defines registration of otherwise qualified voters; it leaves this to be provided by law. Article IV, section 1(2)(b) refers to qualified voters, which certainly makes eligibility under article II, section 2 a necessary condition for validly signing a petition. But this eligibility to vote on election day may not necessarily be a sufficient condition for signing a petition, because article IV, section 1(4)(a) clearly contemplates that eligibility as a qualified voter can be verified before the petition is filed. And article IV, section 1(4)(b) authorizes the submission of initiative and referendum measures to be regulated by laws consistent with this contemplated verification. The legislature has provided that [a]ny elector may sign an initiative or referendum petition for any measure on which the elector is entitled to vote. ORS 250.025. One of the questions to be discussed below, therefore, is how this statute relates to the previously quoted statute that permits registration anytime before the poll closes.