Opinion ID: 1225410
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Report of Campaign Expenditures

Text: The trial court also found that Mr. Johnson violated the Corrupt Practices Act by filing a false report of contributions and expenditures. The report was alleged to be false in that Mr. Johnson signed the reporting form in blank and left the filling in of the blanks to his assistants. A notary acknowledged Mr. Johnson's signature without seeing him sign it and the report was then filed. Assuming only for the purposes of this case that signing a blank report did constitute a violation of ORS 260.060 and 260.080, it was not a material violation. In Cook v. Corbett, supra (446 P.2d 179), we rejected the argument that conduct is not material unless it changes the result of the election. We held that material was used in the statute in the sense of substantial as compared to trivial or unimportant. To be material a violation must be capable of having some possible effect upon the election. If it were otherwise, voters would be disenfranchised by an act of the candidate which could not have an effect upon the election. We hold that signing a blank report after the election is immaterial for the purpose of declaring the election forfeited; because, having occurred after the election, it could not have possibly affected the election outcome. State ex rel. Hampel v. Mitten, 227 Wis. 598, 278 N.W. 431, 435 (1938).