ORS 260.665
Undue influence to affect registration, voting, candidacy, signing petitions

  • solicitation of money or other benefits

(1)

As used in this section, “undue influence” means force, violence, restraint or the threat of it, inflicting injury, damage, harm, loss of employment or other loss or the threat of it, or giving or promising to give money, employment or other thing of value.

(2)

A person, acting either alone or with or through any other person, may not directly or indirectly subject any person to undue influence with the intent to induce any person to:

(a)

Register or vote;

(b)

Refrain from registering or voting;

(c)

Register or vote in any particular manner;

(d)

Be or refrain from or cease being a candidate;

(e)

Contribute or refrain from contributing to any candidate, political party or political committee;

(f)

Render or refrain from rendering services to any candidate, political party or political committee;

(g)

Challenge or refrain from challenging a person offering to vote;

(h)

Apply or refrain from applying for a ballot as an absent elector; or

(i)

Sign or refrain from signing a prospective petition or an initiative, referendum, recall or candidate nominating petition.

(3)

A person may not solicit or accept money or other thing of value as an inducement to act as prohibited by subsection (2) of this section.

(4)

This section does not prohibit:

(a)

The employment of persons to render services to candidates, political parties or political committees;

(b)

The public distribution by candidates, political parties or political committees of sample ballots or other items readily available to the public without charge, even though the distributor incurs costs in the distribution;

(c)

Public or nonpromissory statements by or on behalf of a candidate of the candidate’s intentions or purposes if elected;

(d)

A promise by a candidate to employ any person as administrative assistant, secretary or other direct personal aide;

(e)

Free custody and care of minor children of persons during the time those persons are absent from those children for voting purposes;

(f)

For persons voting, free transportation to and from places designated for the deposit of ballots under ORS 254.470 (Procedures for conducting election by mail) or to and from locations described in ORS 254.472 (Compartments for marking ballots) or 254.474 (Voting booths for primary and general elections); but no means of advertising, solicitation or inducement to influence the vote of persons transported may be used with that transportation;

(g)

Individuals or political committees from providing refreshments incidental to a gathering in support of or in opposition to a candidate, political committee or measure;

(h)

The public distribution of registration cards by a person approved by the Secretary of State under ORS 247.171 (State and federal voter registration cards) to print, copy or otherwise prepare and distribute registration cards, even though the distributor incurs costs in the distribution; or

(i)

An elections official from providing return identification envelopes for ballots that may be returned by mail at no cost to the elector under ORS 254.473 (State payment for return of ballots by mail). [Formerly 260.412; 1983 c.83 §31; 1987 c.464 §1; 1987 c.727 §10; 1989 c.173 §2; 2001 c.960 §1; 2007 c.154 §53; 2009 c.533 §10; 2013 c.520 §20; 2019 c.638 §4]

Source: Section 260.665 — Undue influence to affect registration, voting, candidacy, signing petitions; solicitation of money or other benefits, https://www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/bills_laws/ors/ors260.­html.

See also annotations under ORS 260.412 in permanent edition.

Attorney General Opinions

Prohibitions against inducing a “diversionary” candidacy, (1976) Vol 37, p 1026

260.005
Definitions 260.007
Exclusions from definitions of “contribution” and “expenditure.” 260.011
Prohibition on using cryptocurrency to make contribution 260.035
Treasurer and statement of organization for political committees and candidates 260.037
Liability of candidate or treasurer for default or violation of treasurer obligations 260.038
Treasurer of more than one candidate or committee 260.039
Content of statement of organization of candidate or principal campaign committee 260.041
Principal campaign committee 260.042
Content of statement of organization of political committee 260.043
Exemptions for candidate who expects neither contributions nor expenditures to exceed $750 or $3,500 260.044
Statement of independent expenditures 260.046
Discontinuance of statement of organization 260.049
Reports to be filed by certain corporations 260.052
Political committee identification number 260.054
Political committee campaign account 260.055
Accounts of contributions and expenditures 260.056
Written loan agreements 260.057
Electronic campaign finance filing system 260.064
In-kind contribution from candidate, political committee or petition committee 260.076
Statements of contributions received during session of Legislative Assembly 260.078
Reporting contributions and expenditures not previously reported 260.083
Contents of statements 260.085
Listing of occupation of contributor 260.095
Reporting expenditures that are both in-kind contributions and expenditures 260.112
Filing of certificate by candidate or treasurer of political committee or petition committee who expects neither contributions nor expenditures to exceed $3,500 260.118
Treasurer and statement of organization of petition committee 260.156
Rules for reporting expenditures and contributions 260.163
County or city campaign finance provisions 260.200
Secretary of State rules for accounts, forms, material to be retained and material not subject to disclosure 260.205
Inspection of statements 260.215
Periodic examination and investigation of statements 260.218
Subpoena authority 260.225
Court proceedings to compel filing of correct statements 260.232
Civil penalty for failure to file statement or to include required information 260.234
Notice of civil penalty 260.241
Removal from general election ballot for failure to file statement 260.245
Withholding certificate of election or certificate of nomination for failure to file statement 260.255
Preservation of filed statements by filing officers 260.262
Accounts of chief petitioners 260.266
Statement of persons who paid for communication in support of or in opposition to clearly identified candidate 260.275
Definitions for ORS 260.275 to 260.285 260.281
Donor identification lists 260.285
Civil penalty for failure to file donor identification list or to include required information 260.315
Distribution of copies of law 260.345
Complaints or other information regarding violations 260.351
Court proceedings for election law violations, generally 260.355
Deprivation of nomination or office for deliberate and material election violation 260.365
Election or appointment after deprivation of nomination or office for violation 260.368
Investigations of violations of prohibition on payment based on number of signatures obtained on petition 260.402
Contributions in false name 260.407
Use of contributed amounts for certain purposes 260.409
Expenditures for professional services rendered by candidate 260.413
Prohibition on committee providing consideration in connection with nondisclosure agreement relating to workplace harassment 260.422
Acceptance of employment where compensation to be contributed 260.432
Solicitation of public employees 260.532
False publication relating to candidate or measure 260.537
False publication intended to mislead electors 260.550
Use of term “incumbent.” 260.555
Prohibitions relating to circulation, filing or certification of initiative, referendum or recall petition 260.556
Secretary of State prohibited from counting petition signatures obtained by certain persons 260.558
Payment for signing or not signing initiative, referendum or recall petition 260.561
Liability of certain chief petitioners for violations committed by persons obtaining signatures on petition 260.563
Liability of contractor obtaining signatures on petition for violations committed by subcontractor 260.567
Alteration of information on petition signature sheet 260.569
Payment based on signatures obtained on nominating petition or voter registration card 260.575
Use of threats and intimidation for purpose of extorting money 260.635
Bets and wagers on election results 260.645
Illegal acts relating to voting machines or vote tally systems 260.665
Undue influence to affect registration, voting, candidacy, signing petitions 260.675
Prohibited distribution of ballots 260.685
Elections official compliance with directives of Secretary of State 260.695
Prohibitions relating to voting 260.705
Premature release of vote tally 260.715
Prohibited conduct 260.993
Criminal penalties 260.995
Civil penalties
Green check means up to date. Up to date

Current through early 2024

§ 260.665’s source at oregon​.gov