(a) By direction of the Secretary of State who in the secretary’s sole discretion has determined that the candidate’s candidacy is generally advocated or is recognized in national news media; or
(b) By nominating petition described in this section and filed with the Secretary of State.
(2) A petition nominating a candidate under this section shall contain from each congressional district the signatures of at least 1,000 electors who are registered in the district and who are members of the major political party of the candidate. The petition shall contain the printed name, residence or mailing address and name or number of the precinct, if known, of each elector whose signature appears on the petition. The signatures shall be certified for genuineness by the county clerks or the Secretary of State under ORS 249.008.
(3) Before circulating the nominating petition, the chief sponsor shall file with the Secretary of State a signed copy of the prospective petition. The chief sponsor shall include with the prospective petition a statement declaring whether one or more persons will be paid money or other valuable consideration for obtaining signatures of electors on the petition. After the prospective petition is filed, the chief sponsor shall notify the Secretary of State not later than the 10th day after the chief sponsor first has knowledge or should have had knowledge that:
(a) Any person is being paid for obtaining signatures, when the statement included with the prospective petition declared that no such person would be paid.
(b) No person is being paid for obtaining signatures, when the statement included with the prospective petition declared that one or more such persons would be paid. [1979 c.190 §116; 1981 c.173 §24; 1983 c.756 §4; 1987 c.267 §17; 1995 c.712 §26; 1999 c.410 §24; 1999 c.999 §38; 2007 c.154 §8; 2007 c.155 §5; 2017 c.749 §45; 2019 c.675 §13]