As recommended by the Portland Elections Commission, this ordinance aligns city election cycle timelines with new state timelines, aligns the match cap for the Auditor’s election with the amount needed to mount a competitive bid for that office, ensures penalties are paid in accordance with administrative rules, permits campaigns to collect allowable contributions prior to filing notice, and delegates to the Portland Elections Commission whether to except contributions from candidates from certification threshold requirements and to find a way to enable candidates who ran for a different office to participate in Small Donor Elections without penalty if they later run for city office in the same election cycle.
Official proposal and impact statementOrdinance2025-310
Should Portland amend Small Donor Elections Code to adopt the recommendations of the Portland Elections Commission (amend Code Chapter 2.16)?
As recommended by the Portland Elections Commission, this ordinance aligns city election cycle timelines with new state timelines, aligns the match cap for the Auditor’s election with the amount needed to mount a competitive bid for that office, ensures penalties are paid in accordance with administrative rules, permits campaigns to collect allowable contributions prior to filing notice, and delegates to the Portland Elections Commission whether to except contributions from candidates from certification threshold requirements and to find a way to enable candidates who ran for a different office to participate in Small Donor Elections without penalty if they later run for city office in the same election cycle.
Official impact statementSee the official legal title
Amend Small Donor Elections Code to adopt the recommendations of the Portland Elections Commission (amend Code Chapter 2.16)
Next appearanceFinal action is posted; watch for implementation updates.
Follow this matterWhat this proposal would actually do.
Plain-language orientation first. Every substantive statement below links to its official basis.
The reviewed sources do not clearly identify every existing policy, service, contract, or obligation that would remain unchanged.
Official matter recordThis proposal concerns government & democracy and requires action through Portland’s public legislative process.
Official matter classification and recordThis ordinance is based on recommendations from the Portland Elections Commission, an advisory body composed of members who collectively reflect the diversity of Portland and have related subject matter expertise. The recommendations were created after conducting deep user experience research and quantitative campaign finance data research, all of which is published in a public report on the program’s website.
Official community impact statementWhat the record establishes and what it does not.
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Final Council action
Passed · 11–1
Read the exact motion or vote question
Final action on 2025-310: Amend Small Donor Elections Code to adopt the recommendations of the Portland Elections Commission (amend Code Chapter 2.16)
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Not applicable.
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- What implementation evidence will show whether the intended result occurred?
Can residents still participate?
Official testimony on this decision has closed. Residents can still contact their district Councilors about implementation and follow-up.
Official Council agendaInspect the complete research record.
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Official documents1 sources
Final legal actionOrdinance 192098
The operative official record after Council action.
Open at Portland.govRead the full official text
The City of Portland ordains. Section 1. The Council finds: The City Charter requires the Independent Portland Elections Commission to implement the Small Donor Elections program.The Commission analyzes the performance of the Small Donor Elections program after each election cycle, using user experience research and quantitative campaign finance data.The Commission makes recommendations on improving the Small Donor Elections program and keep it aligned with a constantly changing electoral and campaign finance landscape.The Independent Portland Elections Commission concluded in their analysis of the performance of the Small Donor Elections program in the 2024 election cycle that, with adequate funding and their recommendations implemented, the Small Donor Elections program is “well positioned to ensure Portland’s democracy is increasingly fair, reflective, equitable, and inclusive, experiences high participation among multiple measures, and results in a government that is increasingly accountable to all Portlanders.”The Code amendments are necessary to adopt changes the Commission recommended, to improve the program, by aligning its timeline with new state law, aligning the program design with the campaign finance landscape, and preventing challenges that emerged in the last election cycle from recurring. NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs: Amend City Code Chapter 2.16 as shown in Exhibit A.
Meetings, motions, amendments, and votes4 meetings · 2 votes
PassedAgenda item 8
Passed to second readingAgenda item 13
RescheduledAgenda item 8
Referred to City CouncilAgenda item 5
Read all 1 exact motions
Motion to send Ordinance, Document Number 2025-310, to the full Council with the recommendation that it be adopted: Moved by Ryan and seconded by Pirtle-Guiney. (Aye (5): Clark, Dunphy, Pirtle-Guiney, Ryan, Koyama Lane)
Final Council action · Sep 24, 202511 yes · 1 no
Final action on 2025-310: Amend Small Donor Elections Code to adopt the recommendations of the Portland Elections Commission (amend Code Chapter 2.16)
Meeting-level motion or recommendation · Aug 11, 20255 yes
Motion to send Ordinance, Document Number 2025-310, to the full Council with the recommendation that it be adopted: Moved by Ryan and seconded by Pirtle-Guiney. (Aye (5): Clark, Dunphy, Pirtle-Guiney, Ryan, Koyama Lane)
Data quality, timeline, and provenanceRules v2
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Technical information-completeness check · Ready With Caveats
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CompleteThe official title and operative text identify the requested action.
Official legal text
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Financial impact
CompleteThe official impact statement includes financial information.
Funding source
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Implementation
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- First discovered
- Aug 13, 2026, 1:11 PM PDT
- Last checked
- Sep 13, 2026, 2:30 AM PDT
- Evidence hash
- c277d33a12f7f588
- Guide status
- Deterministic baseline
- SOURCE UPDATED
Passed
- DOCUMENT PUBLISHED
Observed in the official source.
- Council Action
Passed
- Council Action
Passed to second reading
- Council Action
Rescheduled
- Council Action
Referred to City Council