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Oregon Statutes § 251.170 Requirements for translation of voters' pamphlets; rules

Up to State Voters' Pamphlet Generally

Statute Text

(1) The translation of a state voters' pamphlet or county voters' pamphlet required under ORS 251.167 shall be made in the manner described in this section.
(2) For each state voters' pamphlet and county voters' pamphlet mailed to residents of a county, the Secretary of State shall have the following portions of the voters' pamphlet professionally translated into each language for which a translation is required under ORS 251.167 :
(a) Any official statement or communication made by the Secretary of State, county clerk, filing office or other public elections official, including any information described in ORS 251.026 or 251.315 (1)(a) to (d) and (g) and any other information regarding services offered by elections offices, how to cast a ballot and key dates for the election;
(b) The ballot title for each measure;
(c) The explanatory statement for each measure;
(d) The financial estimate for each measure and any statement prepared for a measure under ORS 250.125 ;
(e) Any racial and ethnic impact statement prepared for a measure under ORS 137.685 ;
(f) Any statement submitted for a measure by a citizen panel under ORS 250.141 ; and
(g) Except an argument for a measure prepared by the Legislative Assembly under ORS 251.245 , any other statement for a measure created by a public body as defined in ORS 174.109 .
(3) In addition to the materials that the Secretary of State is required to have professionally translated under subsection (2) of this section, the Secretary of State shall allow to be included in the translated version of each state voters' pamphlet that is made available on the website of the Secretary of State or of a county under ORS 251.167 :
(a) Translations of a candidate statement submitted under ORS 251.065 , provided that:
(A) The candidate is a candidate for federal or statewide office;
(B) The translation is filed by a candidate or the [principal campaign committee] agent of a candidate described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph;
(C) Neither the translation nor the candidate statement submitted under ORS 251.065 is rejected under ORS 251.055 ;
(D) The candidate statement meets the requirements of a candidate statement set forth in this chapter; and
(E) Any translation filed under this paragraph is in one of the [five] most commonly spoken languages in this state or of any county the office represents , other than English, as listed by the Secretary of State under ORS 251.167 .
(b) Translations of an argument in support of or in opposition to a state measure filed under ORS 251.255 , provided that:
(A) The translation is filed by the person who filed the argument in support of or in opposition to a state measure under ORS 251.255 ;
(B) Neither the translation nor the argument in support of or in opposition to a state measure filed under ORS 251.255 is rejected under ORS 251.055 ;
(C) The statement in support of or in opposition to a state measure meets the requirements of a statement in support of or in opposition to a state measure set forth in this chapter; and
(D) Any translation filed under this paragraph is in one of the [five] most commonly spoken languages in this state or of any county in which the measure will be voted on , other than English, as listed by the Secretary of State under ORS 251.167 .
(c) Translations of any argument for a measure prepared by the Legislative Assembly under ORS 251.245 submitted by the Legislative Assembly, provided that any translation filed under this paragraph is in one of the [five] most commonly spoken languages in this state or of any county in which the measure will be voted on , other than English, as listed by the Secretary of State under ORS 251.167 .
(4)
(a) A translation that is permitted or required under this section is not required to be identical in words to the original version but must be consistent with the meaning of the original version.
(b) A translation is not subject to any limitations on the number of words allowed set forth in this chapter.
(5) A county may at its own expense make or accept for publication on the county's website, as part of a translated voters' pamphlet required under ORS 251.167 , any portion of a state or county voters' pamphlet that is not described in this section.
(6) The Secretary of State:
(a) May adopt any rules necessary to implement this section; and
(b) Except as provided in subsection (5) of this section, is responsible for all costs necessary to comply with this section.
(7) As used in this section, "statewide office" means Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries, or judge on the Oregon Supreme Court, the Oregon Court of Appeals or the Oregon Tax Court.

History

Amended by 2024 Ch. 56 , § 1 , eff. 3/27/2024 .

2021 c. 464 , § 3

Prior Versions of This Statute