Voters across Oregon will have more on their plate than the presidential election this November. Several high profile ballot measure could change Oregon's political landscape forever, with questions about how Oregonians elect, pay and penalize elected officials on the ballot, as well as a controversial ballot measure that could bring a form of universal basic income to Oregon residents... for a price.
Here's our breakdown of the statewide ballot measures appearing in the Nov. 5 election.
Measure 115: The power to impeach state officials
What is the recourse when lawmakers do something wrong? That's been the question in Oregon for decades.
Unlike the federal government and other states, Oregon has no mechanism for removing a politician from power before the end of their term. It's the only state in the country with no process for impeaching elected officials suspected of wrongdoing.
That could change under Measure 115, which looks to give a formal impeachment process to state legislators, giving lawmakers the ability to remove a sitting governor, secretary of state, or other elected official from office.
The process would look similar to the federal model, with some key differences. In Washington, D.C., impeachment can occur with a simple majority vote in the House of Representatives; in Oregon, it would require two-thirds of House lawmakers.
Following impeachment, a trial would begin in the Oregon Senate, which could result in the elected official being ousted from office if two-thirds of senators agree.
Oregon does have a recall process, but historically, elected officials in Oregon accused of serious wrongdoing have simply resigned, as Secretary of State Shemia Fagan did in 2023 after she was accused of consulting for a cannabis company while in office, and as Gov. John Kitzhaber did in 2015 following an influence peddling scandal involving his longtime partner.
Measure 116: Who should decide lawmakers salaries?
Last year, three Democratic lawmakers, all women, announced they would not seek reelection because they could not afford to live on an elected official's salary.
That sparked a conversation about how much lawmakers should be paid — and who should be responsible for determining that figure.
Measure 116 would create an independent commission that would set the salaries for elected officials. That commission would have the power to set the salaries for the governor and secretary of state, as well as other statewide elected leaders such as lawmakers and judges.
Legislators make $35,000 a year and their duties are considered part-time work, although lawmakers have argued that it's a 24/7 commitment, with constituent meetings, special sessions and other work occurring in between the formal sessions of the Legislature.
Proponents say that politicians shouldn't set their own salaries. Currently it's up to lawmakers to determine that figure, but opponents of the measure worry about who would sit on the commission, noting that under Measure 116, it would be up to the Legislature to appoint members, which could encourage cronyism and limit how independently the commission is able to operate.
Measure 117: Ranked choice voting comes to Oregon
Voters will decide in November whether to bring ranked choice voting to state and federal races, changing Oregon's election system.
Instead of picking a single candidate for office, voters would instead rank the candidates from most-preferred to least. Then, if a candidate fails to win a majority of the vote, the candidate with the fewest first-place votes is eliminated and their votes redistributed to voters' second choices. This continues until a candidate achieves a majority vote.
Proponents of the measure say it's a more fair way of electing leaders, aimed at tamping down political polarization. Winning candidates are more likely to share broader support, and proponents say the officials would be more representative of their communities.
But opponents say there's little evidence that ranked choice voting would reduce partisanship because the measure would retain Oregon's closed primary system, which bars voters from electing candidates outside of their political party during primary races. Those races define who runs in the general election, and opponents say adopting ranked choice voting without changing Oregon's primary system could limit the effectiveness of ranked choice voting, as there would be little change in candidates positions. County clerks, which maintain Oregon's election, are split on the measure, with some arguing that implementing ranked choice voting could cost millions.
Only two states, Maine and Alaska, have ranked choice voting statewide, but a handful of Oregon cities and counties have adopted the model. The city of Portland is launching ranked choice voting in November's election for citywide offices, like the mayor or auditor. Multnomah County plans to follow suit in 2026. Corvallis and Benton County have used ranked choice voting for years.
Measure 118: A yearly check, just for living in Oregon
The most controversial (and expensive) of Oregon's ballot measures this year, Measure 118 looks at implementing a small universal basic income to all Oregonians.
The measure would place a 3% tax on all business sales above $25 million. That money would be divided among every Oregon resident, regardless of age. Oregonians need only live in Oregon for at least 200 days — less than a year — to quality for the money. And residents who are born or die within that year are still eligible to receive the payments.
Opposition against the measure has been intense and has brought unlikely bedfellows together. The state's largest business group, Oregon Business & Industry, has come out against it, as has some of the country's largest companies which do business in Oregon. That opposition is unsurprising, but alongside that group come all of the state's largest labor unions, which are urging voters to say no to Measure 118, as well as progressive policy groups such as the Oregon Center for Public Policy, and politicians from both parties, including Gov. Tina Kotek, Treasurer Tobias Read (running for Secretary of State in November) and the majority of Oregon lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Opponents say because the tax is on gross sales, not profits, corporations will be forced to raise prices and pass the cost onto consumers, and could slow growth in employment and wages. Oregon's complex tax code also complicates things, and the measure may mean Oregon loses out of more than $1 billion in other taxes it would have collected to pay for things like schools and health care.
Proponents say the measure is a small way to help alleviate poverty in the state.
The measure is expected to bring in more than $6.5 billion a year, and backers of the measure say Oregon residents could expect to receive about $1,600 a year through the tax, but it's more complicated than that. Opponents say it's possible that the payments could eliminate some people from being eligible for Medicaid or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps.
The measure attempts to remedy this with hold harmless payments that would recoup Oregonians for the value of any lost benefit, but that makes it impossible to know how much would go out in rebate checks to Oregonians. Some projections place it as low as $1,200 a year, while others predict as high as $1,700.
Voters shot down a similar proposal in 2016, which would have taxed corporations to help pay for state education and health care programs.
Election Day is Nov. 5. Ballots will go out to voters in mid-October.
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