Oregon animal‑rights petition fails first signature check, jeopardizing ballot placement

Initiative Petition 28, also known as the PEACE Act, is a proposal by Portland‑based vegan advocates to expand Oregon’s animal‑cruelty statutes to ban hunting, fishing, breeding, farming and research, allowing killings only for self‑defense or veterinary care. Petition sponsors submitted 142,784 signatures, exceeding the 117,173 required to qualify for the November ballot. In the first verification round, the Secretary of State’s Elections Division sampled 1,000 signatures and found only 804 to be valid, falling short of the 82 % validity threshold. As a result, the petition failed this initial check. A larger, second‑stage sample is now being examined, with a final decision due by Aug. 2. If the second sample also falls below the required threshold, the measure will not appear on the ballot, ending the current attempt to enact the statewide ban.