Judge Dlott also rejected the value of evidence presented in the case by John Lindback, the Director of the Election Division for the Oregon Secretary of State.

[3] The defendants in the case, Joseph Deters and Matthias Heck, were named in their official capacities as enforcers of the law.

In the district court's decision, Judge Dlott relied on evidence presented by professional signature-gathering companies that indicated a prohibition on "per-signature" compensation would increase the costs and the time associated with obtaining the number of signatures required to qualify for the ballot.

Thus, the Court held that the statute did not justify the burden placed on the initiative proponents' core political speech rights.

It enables the people to exchange ideas (popular and unpopular alike), to assemble with the hope of changing minds, and to alter or preserve how we govern ourselves.