Oregon 2026 ballot measures
As of March 21, 2026, one statewide ballot measure was certified for the ballot in Oregon in 2026.
On the ballot
May 19:
| Type | Title | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increase to Gas Tax, Payroll Tax, and Vehicle Registration Fees Referendum | Business taxes; Fuel taxes; Transportation taxes | Repeal sections of House Bill 3991 that increase the state's gas tax, payroll tax, and vehicle registration fees |
Potential measures
Initiatives
As of March 1, 2026, 81 ballot initiatives have been filed with the secretary of state. The following have been approved to circulate. Click here to view the full list of 2026 initiatives.
| Name | Type | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Changes to Pretrial Release for Persons Accused of Felonies and Class A Misdemeanors Initiative (2026) | Bail; Criminal trials | Prohibit persons accused of felonies or Class A misdemeanors from being released prior to first court appearance, remove limits on bail amount, change criteria used to determine release, and require state cover county pretrial incarceration costs | |
| Oregon Remove Animal Cruelty Exceptions Initiative (2026) | Fishing; Animals; Hunting | Remove certain exemptions to animal cruelty laws and criminalize various practices such as breeding, hunting, fishing, pest control, and some farming methods; and would also establish the Humane Transition Fund | |
| Oregon Repeal Estate Tax Initiative (2026) | Estate taxes | Repeal the state's estate tax and prohibit any future estate taxes | |
| Oregon Require In-Person Election Day Voting Initiative (2026) | Election administration; Absentee voting | Require in-person election day voting, thereby prohibiting mail-in elections | |
| Oregon Require Reason for Employee Termination or Discipline Initiative (2026) | Business | Require employers to provide a reason or procedures for termination or disciplinary action and severance upon termination | |
| Oregon Voter Approval for New Tolls Initiative (2026) | Transportation taxes | Require voter approval of new highway fees or tolls by each county with a border within a 15-mile radius of the highway | |
| Oregon Waterway Access Permit Regulations Initiative (2026) | Non-motorized transportation | Require any person 14 years or older to carry a waterway access permit when operating a nonmotorized boat that is at least 10 feet long or a sailboat less than 12 feet long, with certain exceptions |
Getting measures on the ballot
Citizens of Oregon have the powers of initiated state statute, initiated constitutional amendment, and veto referendum. The Oregon State Legislature may also place measures on the ballot as legislatively referred constitutional amendments or legislatively referred state statutes with a majority vote of each chamber.
Oregon is one of several states that require a certain number of signatures to accompany prospective petition filings. The signatures of at least 1,000 electors are required. The number of signatures required to qualify an initiated state statute, constitutional amendment, or veto referendum measure for the ballot in Oregon is tied to the number of votes cast for the office of governor in the state's most recent gubernatorial election. Valid citizen signatures equaling 8% of these votes are needed for initiated constitutional amendments, 6% for initiated state statutes, and 4% for a veto referendum.
2026 signature requirements:
- initiated state statute: 117,173
- initiated constitutional amendment: 156,231
- veto referendum: 78,116
Signatures for Oregon initiatives must be submitted four months prior to the next regular general election. If signatures are submitted at least 165 days before an election and the petition is found insufficient, additional signatures can be submitted prior to the final deadline.
Historical facts
- See also: List of Oregon ballot measures
Oregon statewide ballot measures
In Oregon, a total of 881 ballot measures appeared on statewide ballots between 1900 and 2024. Four hundred eleven (411) ballot measures were approved, and 470 ballot measures were defeated.
| Oregon statewide ballot measures, 1900-2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number | Annual average | Annual minimum | Annual maximum | Approved | Defeated | ||
| # | % | # | % | ||||
Ballot initiative certification rates
The following table shows the rate of certification for ballot initiatives in Oregon between 2010 and 2024:
Oregon Historical Ballot Measures Factbook
Ballotpedia completed an inventory of Oregon ballot measures as part of Ballotpedia's Historical Ballot Measure Factbook, which will document nearly 200 years of direct democracy in the United States. To view a searchable database and analysis of Oregon ballot measures, click here.
Oregon ballot measures by the decade
The average number of measures per decade was about 67, and the average percentage of measures approved per decade was 51.8%. The decade with the most ballot measures was the 1910s, which featured 137 ballot measures. Forty-six measures (33.58%) were approved, and 91 (66.42%) were defeated. The decade that had the highest approval rate was the 2020s, which has featured 13 measures—10 (76.92%) were approved, and three (23.08%) were defeated. The decade with the lowest approval rating was the 1930s. The decade featured 67 ballot measures—21 (31.34%) were approved and 46 (68.66%) were defeated.
Not on the ballot
The following state ballot measures did not appear on the ballot in 2026:
| Name | Type | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Increase Boat Fees and Dedicates Revenue to Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Fund Referendum (2026) | Ports; Fees; Parks and conservation | Uphold House Bill 2982, which increased fees on certain boats and dedicates the revenue to the Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Fund | |
| Oregon Prohibit Laws Discriminating Based on Pregnancy Outcome, Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, or Sex and Repeal Same-Sex Marriage Ban Initiative (2026) | LGBTQ; Constitutional rights; Abortion | Define the state's constitutional rights provision that prohibits laws that discriminate based on account of sex to include laws and policies that discriminate based on pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, health decisions, gender identity, sexual orientation and marriage, and sex |
See also
- 2026 ballot measures
- List of Oregon ballot measures
- History of Initiative & Referendum in Oregon
- Laws governing the initiative process in Oregon
