Recall Petitions Fail to Meet Requirements

The Lincoln County Clerk informed the City of Waldport that the recall petitions for the six council members failed to meet the legal petition recall requirements. The county determined that ORS 260.567, which prohibits the modification of the petition signature lines by other than the signer, was violated repeatedly thus invalidating the petitions. 

“This is a clear case of election law violations by the petitioner and a select group of circulators,” stated city manager Dann Cutter. “I am grateful the county took the integrity of the process so diligently, as obviously there are distractions everywhere. It appears that the early reports of tampering and misconduct seem to have some truth behind them.” 

Upon notification of the deficiency, the chief election officer for the city (the city recorder) had no option other than to declare that the petition failed under Oregon law. 

“This effort by a small group of individuals has really created division in the community in the last few months,” said Cutter, “I hope now that we can get back to building the growing small coastal town we have been in the last five years.”

City officials will be turning over records of the violations and complaints for further consideration of civil and criminal prosecution to the Oregon Secretary of State’s office.