Benton County, Oregon, Measure 2-100, Ranked-Choice Voting Measure (November 2016)

Benton County Measure 2-100
Election date November 8, 2016
Topic Local charter amendments and Local elections and campaigns
Status Approved
Type Initiative

Benton County Measure 2-100 was on the ballot as an initiative in Benton County on November 8, 2016. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported adopting ranked-choice voting for elected county offices in Benton County, Oregon.

A "no" vote opposed adopting ranked-choice voting for elected county offices in Benton County, Oregon.

Election results

Benton County Measure 2-100
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		23,143	54.18%
No		19,573	45.82%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Measure 2-100 was as follows:

“

Amends County Charter to elect officials using ranked choice voting Should County Charter be amended to elect countywide officials by ranking candidates in order of preference using ranked choice voting?

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary for this measure was:

“

The measure would amend the Benton County Charter to specify that all elected officers of the County be elected by a process known as ranked choice voting, also known as instant runoff voting or the alternative vote. Currently, the Benton County Commissioners and Benton County Sheriff are the only elected County officers. Ranked choice voting would allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference and uses those rankings to elect candidates. The measure provides that ranked choice voting would be used for general and special elections; not for primaries. The measure would require the County to enact an ordinance implementing the ranked choice voting process no later than 120 days prior to the date of the first election using ranked choice voting. Ranked choice voting would be implemented only after the County has received up to $200,000 from the State of Oregon, or other sources, for the costs of implementation. Ranked choice voting would be used during the first election at least twelve months after funding has been received.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Background

Ranked-choice voting (RCV)

See also: Ranked-choice voting (RCV)

The ballot measure has played a role in shaping electoral systems in the U.S., including ranked-choice voting (RCV) for state and local elections.

Since 1915, there have been more than 150 ballot measures to adopt or repeal ranked-choice voting systems. Ashtabula, Ohio, was the first jurisdiction to approve a ranked-choice voting measure in 1915.

RCV is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates on their ballots. RCV can be used for single-winner elections or multi-winner elections; when used for multi-winner elections, the system has also been called single-transferable vote or proportional representation. These terms were often used to describe multi-winner RCV before the 1970s. You can learn more about ranked-choice voting systems and policies here.

Local RCV ballot measures

See also: History of ranked-choice voting (RCV) ballot measures

Between 1965 and October 2025, 80 ranked-choice voting (RCV) local ballot measures were on the ballot in 59 jurisdictions in 19 states.

• Ballotpedia has located 72 local ballot measures to adopt RCV. Voters approved 57 (79.2%) and rejected 15 (20.8%).

• There were eight local ballot measures to repeal RCV. Voters approved four (50.0%) and rejected four (50.0%).

• The year with the most local RCV ballot measures was 2022, when nine were on the ballot in nine jurisdictions. Voters approved seven of them.

• The state with the most local ballot measures related to RCV is California, where there have been 13.

The following table shows the number of ranked-choice voting measures by policy direction.

Local ranked-choice vote measures by policy direction and outcome, 1965 - October 2025

Direction	Total	Approved	Approved (%)	Defeated	Defeated (%)
Adopt RCV	72	57	79.2%	15	20.8%
Repeal RCV	8	4	50.0%	4	50.0%
Total	80	61	76.3%	19	23.7%

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing local ballot measures in Oregon

This measure was put on the ballot through a successful citizen petition.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Oregon

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Oregon.

How to vote in Oregon

Poll times

Oregon is an all-mail voting state. Each county provides privacy booths that voters can use to mark their ballot. County clerks' offices are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time on Election Day. Oregon is divided between the Mountain and Pacific time zones.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Oregon, one must be a resident of Oregon, a United States citizen, and at least 16 years old. Voters must be at least 18 years old by the day of the election in order to receive a ballot. Potential voters can register online or by mailing in a voter registration form to your county election office. The deadline to register is 21 days before the election.

Automatic registration

Oregon implemented automatic voter registration in 2016. For more information, click here.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Oregon has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Oregon does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Oregon, you must be a resident of the state.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Oregon does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who knowingly falsely registers "can be fined up to $125,000 and/or imprisoned for up to 5 years."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voter ID requirements

The federal Help America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.

These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote. Oregon is an all-mail voting state. When registering to vote, voters must provide their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.

If voters are unable to provide this information, they can provide a copy of another form of acceptable identification that shows their name and current address. Examples of an acceptable form of identification include a valid photo ID, paycheck stub, utility bill, bank statement, government document, or proof of eligibility under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act or the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act.

See also

Local measures

• Local measures in 2016
• Local elections and campaigns on the ballot

Oregon

• November 8, 2016 measures in Oregon
• Local ballot measures, Oregon
• Benton County, Oregon

News and analysis

• State and local preemption conflicts
• Measures advancing national agendas