General Information: The information below explains the terms of office and City election filing dates. If you have specific questions or just want more information, you can call the City Recorder at 766-6901 or check the Charter or the Municipal Code.

Election Categories

Corvallis utilizes three types of elections

1. Primary (May)
2. General (November)
3. Special (currently allowed in March and September)

Mayor and City Council 2010 Election Information


Actual Conduct

The City places measures on the ballot, but elections are conducted by Benton County.

Types of City issues

The types of issues the City places on the ballot usually relate to Mayor/Council elections; proposed annexations; Charter amendments; and, occasionally, bonded indebtedness for such things as the Library expansion, capital improvement projects, etc.; an increase in the City's tax base (once in approximately 90 years), and initiatives and referendum measures.

Initiative and Referendum

Citizens occasionally place measures on the ballot through the initiative and referendum process. The initiative process, which requires collection of signatures equaling 15% of the votes cast in the last mayoral election, is used for items initiated (or started) by the citizen. Examples would include the measure to allow smoking in bars, the recall of an elected City official or a Charter amendment to, for example, require a vote of the people on annexations. The referendum process, which requires collection of signatures equaling 10% of the votes cast in the last mayoral election, is used to refer legislation adopted by the governing body to a direct vote.

Timeline

The City must file its candidate roster and ballot measures with the County well in advance of the election date. If you are interested in more information, call 766-6901 or E-mail City Recorder

For more information about elections and forms, visit the Oregon State Elections Division Web site.

Process

The City either initiates measures or refers measures or candidates to the ballot through Benton County's Department of Records and Elections.

Registering to vote

To become a registered voter, you must be 18 years of age on the date of the next election, a resident of the State of Oregon (and the City of Corvallis for our local measures and candidates), a citizen of the United States, and, if you have not been registered to vote previously in the State, you must file 20 days prior to the next election date. If you have voted previously within the state, you need to check with Benton County Elections and you may be eligible to vote immediately. All prospective voters register with Benton County.

Political Action Committees

PACs are formed for both candidates and measures; they can be either in support of or opposition to the candidate or measure. PACs must be formed and registered with the Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division at www.oregonvotes.org before any contributions are accepted or monies expended. Once the election in question is over and all monies are accounted for, PACs should be discontinued.

Contribution and Expenditure reports

PACs file C&E reports with the Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division on an established schedule. If a candidate acts as his or her own Treasurer and expects to spend or receive less than $300 during the entire calendar year, reports do not need to be filed. If the candidate subsequently exceeds that amount, reports do need to be filed. Please visit the State Elections Division Web site and review the Campaign Finance Manual for instructions and a schedule of filing deadlines.

Nomination packets

The Municipal Code specifies the filing period for Mayor and Council positions as "...no earlier than 99 days and not later than 5:00 pm on the eighty-first day before the election."

County Voters' Pamphlet

Benton County occasionally publishes a Voters' Pamphlet for elections. A copy of the form may be obtained from the County Records and Elections Department . Usually, these need to be filed with the County about two months before the election.