The Oregon Secretary of State announced on July 24 that an initiative to ban hunting in the state did not submit a sufficient number of valid signatures, missing the signature threshold for the November ballot. No other campaigns submitted signatures this election cycle in Oregon by the July 2 deadline. 2026 will be the first even-numbered year since 1966 without an initiative on the general election ballot in Oregon.
The initiative, referred to by the sponsors as the People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act, would have removed certain exemptions to animal cruelty laws, criminalizing hunting, fishing, and intentional injury to animals. The only exceptions allowed under the initiative for harming or killing a protected animal are self-defense against an immediate threat to yourself, other humans, or other animals, and good veterinary practices defined in state law.
The campaign filed 142,784 signatures for verification. The secretary of state reported that 104,262 signatures were valid. The signature requirement for initiated state statutes was 117,173 signatures (6% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election).
While previous animal treatment measures have addressed certain hunting methods, wildlife trafficking, farm animal confinement, animal fighting, racing, and animal experimentation, none have sought to criminalize all hunting, fishing, the slaughter of animals for food, and livestock husbandry altogether. Conversely, 24 states have enshrined a right to hunt and fish in their respective state constitutions. Vermont was the first state to constitutionalize such a right in 1777, and Florida was the most recent state to adopt one in 2024.
For the 2026 election cycle, 91 ballot initiatives were filed in Oregon, including three veto referendums challenging laws passed by the state legislature. One veto referendum qualified for the May primary ballot. It was defeated, which means the challenged law that would have increased the state’s gas tax among other changes was repealed. It was originally slated to appear on the November ballot, but the state legislature passed and Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed a bill moving the referendum to the May primary ballot.
Between 2010 and 2024, an average of 62 ballot initiatives were filed each election cycle in Oregon, with an average of four initiatives certified for even-numbered-year ballots.
Oregon adopted the initiative and referendum process in 1902, with support from 91.63% of voters. Oregon was the third state to adopt the initiative behind South Dakota and Utah. Since its authorization, voters have decided 444 ballot initiatives — approving 159 and rejecting 285. Legislatively referred measures have had better success at the ballot box than citizen-initiated measures. Legislatively referred measures were approved 58% of the time, as compared to 36% for ballot initiatives.
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