Each block on this histogram represents a change—e.g., a substantive change, repeal & replace, or renumbering—to an individual section rather than an amendment. Some amendments result in multiple changes, resulting in multiple blocks being attributed to one amendment. Likewise, a section may be amended more than once in an year, but these amendments will only appear as one block on the histogram. When a block or blocks are marked red in a specific year, that means that a new constitution went into effect that year.
The Constitution’s provisions are organized into articles, and each article is split into sections. Here, you can view an outline of the Constitution, see the Constitution’s full text as it stood on any date since ratification, and compare any amended provision of the Constitution to its earlier version.
Explore by Year
View the constitution’s amendments by year of adoption and historical context for significant amendments.
The Oregon Constitution & Its Amendments
In 1857, the people of the Oregon Territory ratified the Oregon Constitution. The Constitution, which has been in effect since 1859, has been amended 259 times.
There are two ways for the Constitution to be amended: by voter initiative or legislative referral. To place an initiated constitutional amendment on the ballot, proponents must gather signatures of qualified voters equal to 8% of the total votes cast in the prior gubernatorial election. For the legislature to place a proposed amendment on the ballot, both houses must pass the amendment by a majority vote. Once submitted to voters, a proposed constitutional amendment must receive a majority of “yes” votes cast on the question to be carried into effect, no matter whether it was introduced via initiative or legislatively referred. The constitution also permits both the legislature and the voters to call a constitutional convention in order to formulate proposals for amendments and revisions, or to write a new constitution altogether. A law passed by the legislature calling for a convention must then be approved by voters in a referendum vote.
A third method for altering the state’s fundamental law is included under Art. XVII, § 2 and provides that the constitution may be “revised” by legislative referral if both houses agree by a two-thirds supermajority and voters ratify the revision by a simple majority.
For more information about revising the Oregon Constitution, see 2009.
Oregon State Capitol. Gary Halvorson.
Additional Resources Access links to commonly referenced sources in Oregon constitutional research.
Access links to commonly referenced sources in Oregon constitutional research.