Referendum on medical aid in dying
Measure 16
Choice
Votes
%
Yes
627,980
51.31%
No
596,018
48.69%
Measure 51
Choice
Votes
%
Yes
445,830
40.09%
No
666,275
59.91%
Measure 16 of 1994 established the U.S. state of Oregon 's Death with Dignity Act (ORS 127.800–995),[ 1] which legalizes medical aid in dying (commonly referred to as physician-assisted suicide ) with certain restrictions. Passage of this initiative made Oregon the first U.S. state and one of the first jurisdictions in the world to permit some terminally ill patients to determine the time of their own death.[citation needed ]
The measure was approved in the November 8, 1994, general election. 627,980 votes (51.3%) were cast in favor, 596,018 votes (48.7%) against.[ 2] An injunction delayed implementation of the Act until it was lifted on October 27, 1997.[ 3] Measure 51 , referred in the wake of the US Supreme Court 's 1997 ruling in Washington v. Glucksberg by the state legislature in November 1997, sought to repeal the Death with Dignity Act, but was rejected by 60% of voters.[ 4] The act was challenged by the George W. Bush administration , but was upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States in Gonzales v. Oregon in 2006.
Measure 16 Results by County:
County
Yes
Votes
No
Votes
Total
Baker
42.02
2,779
57.98
3,835
6,614
Benton
50.57
16,376
49.43
16,006
32,382
Clackamas
51.39
66,807
48.61
63,191
129,998
Clatsop
52.55
7,241
47.45
6,539
13,780
Columbia
52.29
8,454
47.71
7,714
16,168
Coos
49.99
12,270
50.01
12,273
24,543
Crook
45.66
2,932
54.34
3,489
6,421
Curry
55.81
5,107
44.19
4,044
9,151
Deschutes
51.12
19,245
48.88
18,405
37,650
Douglas
44.74
17,560
55.26
21,693
39,253
Gilliam
52.49
474
47.51
429
903
Grant
45.65
1,552
54.35
1,848
3,400
Harney
43.12
1,225
56.88
1,616
2,841
Hood River
49.73
3,356
50.27
3,393
6,749
Jackson
51.58
33,191
48.42
31,163
64,354
Jefferson
45.44
2,312
54.56
2,776
5,088
Josephine
50.04
13,672
49.96
13,648
27,320
Klamath
45.04
9,430
54.96
11,508
20,938
Lake
42.14
1,364
57.86
1,873
3,237
Lane
56.32
69,578
43.68
53,955
123,533
Lincoln
60.56
10,920
39.44
7,112
18,032
Linn
44.55
16,737
55.45
20,835
37,572
Malheur
35.75
3,032
64.25
5,448
8,480
Marion
44.80
43,284
55.20
53,330
96,614
Morrow
41.04
1,202
58.96
1,727
2,929
Multnomah
56.87
138,257
43.13
104,844
243,101
Polk
43.60
10,070
56.40
13,028
23,098
Sherman
50.52
483
49.48
473
956
Tillamook
53.20
5,298
46.80
4,660
9,958
Umatilla
42.65
7,987
57.35
10,741
18,728
Union
47.19
4,690
52.81
5,249
9,939
Wallowa
45.48
1,609
54.52
1,929
3,538
Wasco
46.70
4,281
53.30
4,887
9,168
Washington
52.25
72,268
47.75
66,047
138,315
Wheeler
39.78
290
60.22
439
729
Yamhill
44.16
12,197
55.84
15,421
27,618
Measure 51 Results by County:
County
No
Votes
Yes
Votes
Total
Baker
52.82
3,232
47.18
2,887
6,119
Benton
62.61
17,039
37.39
10,174
27,213
Clackamas
59.39
70,470
40.61
48,189
118,659
Clatsop
61.55
7,826
38.45
4,888
12,714
Columbia
60.11
9,900
39.89
6,569
16,469
Coos
60.59
13,960
39.41
9,079
23,039
Crook
55.61
3,370
44.39
2,690
6,060
Curry
65.99
5,674
34.01
2,923
8,597
Deschutes
61.43
23,475
38.57
14,737
38,212
Douglas
53.88
18,598
46.12
15,920
34,518
Gilliam
58.56
496
41.44
351
847
Grant
49.74
1,554
50.26
1,570
3,124
Harney
49.92
1,301
50.08
1,305
2,606
Hood River
57.96
3,702
42.04
2,685
6,387
Jackson
58.72
34,099
41.28
23,976
58,075
Jefferson
56.98
2,834
43.02
2,140
4,974
Josephine
57.99
14,955
42.01
10,833
25,788
Klamath
55.44
10,348
44.56
8,318
18,666
Lake
51.20
1,433
48.80
1,366
2,799
Lane
63.82
67,860
36.18
29,389
106,331
Lincoln
69.58
11,936
30.42
5,219
17,155
Linn
52.26
17,080
47.74
15,604
32,684
Malheur
42.58
3,431
57.42
4,626
8,057
Marion
54.00
47,227
46.00
40,229
87,456
Morrow
50.63
1,336
49.37
1,303
2,639
Multnomah
65.56
142,197
34.44
74.687
216,884
Polk
53.74
10,783
46.26
9,281
20,064
Sherman
60.72
507
39.28
328
835
Tillamook
64.20
6,045
35.80
3,371
9,416
Umatilla
55.57
9,669
44.43
7,730
17,399
Union
58.06
5,462
41.94
3,945
9,407
Wallowa
52.64
1,742
47.36
1,567
3,309
Wasco
56.85
4,978
43.15
3,779
8,757
Washington
59.42
76,381
40.58
52,172
128,553
Wheeler
50.36
352
49.64
347
699
Yamhill
54.45
15,023
45.55
12,568
27,591