The Election Division has provided notice of a temporary administrative order for OAR 165-005-0130. The rule provides a new restriction on the disclosure of the addresses of election workers. This temporary rule went into effect on August 16, 2022 and will end on February 10, 2023 or upon adoption of a permanent administrative order.

The rule is being driven by HB 4144 which was passed in the 2022 session and it defines elections workers and requires an exemption for residential address disclosure. In enacting HB 4144 the Legislative Assembly directed the Secretary of State to adopt a rule. This rule is needed to define electors qualified for residential address exemption in certain elections public records.

The rule is being enacted as an emergency rule. According to The Secretary of State "failure to act promptly will result in serious prejudice to the public interest of protecting elections workers as authorized in HB 4144. Defining the term Elections Worker is required to implement provisions of the law in a timely manner prior to the November 2022 General Election."

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Tyler Janzen of the Oregon Association of County Clerks offered testimony during the hearing for HB 4144. He said, "This bill does two things to protect those election workers. First, it allows election workers to exempt their residential address from public records disclosure, lessening the threat of hostile behavior occurring at their private residences. Second, it makes the crime of harassment or aggravated harassment against an election worker a Class C felony, deterring would-be harassers from inappropriate actions."


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-08-19 11:39:19

Last Update: 2022-08-19 12:52:48