The Oregon Constitution was drafted in 1857 at the Oregon Constitutional Convention. It was approved on November 9, 1857. The Constitution became effective when Oregon attained statehood on February 14, 1859. It has been amended many times since 1902. One of the important constitutional amendments is the introduction of a direct legislation system. As a result of this amendment, the Oregon voters are empowered to propose and approve constitutional and statutory amendments. The current constitution begins with a bill of rights and consists of 18 sections. The bill of rights of Oregon Constitution contains most of the United States Bill of Rights and also the main text of the United States Constitution. The Oregon Constitution outlines the divisions of power within the state government. Moreover, it provides the times of elections, and also defines the state boundaries and capital.
To ratify an amendment in Oregon, a simple majority of favorable votes is enough once an initiative amendment is placed on the ballot by initiative petition, or once a legislative amendment is referred to the people by a simple majority vote in the state legislature.