Oregon Secretary of State Office
Contact Info: elections.sos@state.or.us
Per the Elections Division
Qualification for an office is determined by the local elections officer for local candidates or our office for state candidates. That said, a contest of an election may be filed by any person who voted for the candidate. The contest must be based on, among other things, ineligibility of the candidate to hold the office at the time of the election. The election may not be set aside unless the person nominated or elected had knowledge of or connived in the cause of the contest.ORS Chapter 258 outlines the requirements and procedure to contest an election. The contest must be filed with the elections official not later than 40 days after the election. The appropriate court to file with is Marion County for a state representative or senator. If the elected official is for a local position the appropriate court is the county circuit court.
If the candidate provided false information on a candidate filing form, a complaint could be filed with this office to investigate under ORS 260.715(1). This statute prohibits a person from knowingly providing a false statement on an elections form. Violation of this statute is a Class C felony.
