Oregon legislation · 2025 Legislative Measures
Oregon SB655: Relating to ballot security.
Status: Introduced, June 27, 2025
Digest: Tells the SOS to create a database of ballots for each election. Tells the county clerks to add e-copies of each ballot into the database. Requires each ballot to have an ID. Requires the ID to be secret other than to the voter. Allows a voter to view the voter's ballot in the database for 90 days following the election. Allows the county clerks to charge a reasonable fee for the cost of getting a ballot. Tells the county clerks to allow certain persons to watch the ballots being printed and inserted into mailing envelopes. (Flesch Readability Score: 63.4). Directs the Secretary of State to establish and maintain a searchable and publicly accessible database containing a copy of every ballot cast in each election. Requires county clerks to scan and upload to the database each ballot cast prior to tallying the votes. Requires each ballot to be printed with a unique identifier that an elector may use to search the database for an electronic copy of the elector's ballot. Requires a ballot's identifier to be secret except to the elector. Permits an elector to inspect the elector's cast ballot for 90 days following the date of an election. Requires county clerks to store ballots in a manner that makes the ballots readily available to retrieve. Requires county clerks to store ballots in batches and to maintain an index that records where each ballot is stored. Permits county clerks to charge a reasonable fee to cover the cost of retrieving a ballot. Requires county clerks to permit authorized persons to watch the printing of ballots and the inserting of ballots in envelopes to be mailed to electors. Applies to primary, general and special elections held on or after January 1, 2027. Becomes operative January 1, 2027.
What the bill says
A bill FOR AN ACT Relating to ballot security; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 254.145, 254.478, 254.482, 254.483 and 254.535.
From the introduced text, January 10, 2025:
A BILL FOR AN ACT Relating to ballot security; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 254.145, 254.478, 254.482, 254.483 and 254.535. Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon: SECTION 1. Sections 2 and 9 of this 2025 Act are added to and made a part of ORS chapter 254. SECTION 2. (1) The Secretary of State shall design and make available to the public, free of charge on the Internet, a searchable database that an elector may use to view an electronic copy of every ballot cast in a recent election. The searchable database designed under this subsection must: (a) Ensure that a ballot cast in an election that has attached at least one copy of the ballot's identifier as provided in ORS 254.145 is searchable by the ballot's identifier; (b) Be maintained in a manner that permits each county clerk to upload an electronic copy of each ballot cast in an election to the database prior to the ballot being tallied; and (c) Ensure that a ballot is searchable on the database as soon as technologically possible once a county clerk has uploaded the electronic copy of the ballot to the database. (2)(a) Each county clerk shall scan each ballot cast in an election and upload, prior to the ballot being tallied, an electronic copy …
Sponsors
- Noah Robinson (R, 2) · primary sponsor
- Diane Linthicum (R, 28) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : In committee upon adjournment.
- : Referred to Rules, then Ways and Means.
- : Introduction and first reading. Referred to President's desk.
Common questions
- What is SB655?
- SB655 is a bill in the Oregon Legislature (2025 Legislative Measures): Relating to ballot security.
- What does SB655 do?
- In its own words: A bill FOR AN ACT Relating to ballot security; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 254.145, 254.478, 254.482, 254.483 and 254.535.
- What is the status of SB655?
- Introduced as of June 27, 2025. Latest action: In committee upon adjournment. (June 27, 2025).
- Who sponsored SB655?
- Noah Robinson (R, 2), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for SB655?
- On the Oregon Legislature website: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Measures/Overview/655
Source: official Oregon record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.