Norma Jean Paulus (née Petersen; March 13, 1933 – February 28, 2019) was an American lawyer and politician in the state of Oregon.

Prior to her death on February 28, 2019, Paulus lived in Portland, where she was involved with several non-profit groups and sponsored a ballot measure to create open primaries in Oregon's statewide elections.

[2][3] Paulus started her career as the secretary for the district attorney for Harney County in Burns, Oregon.

Latourette recommended Paulus to attend law school, which she did at Willamette University without a college degree, enrolling in 1956.

[14][15] In 1984, followers of the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh bused homeless people to Wasco County in an attempt to sway local elections.

[16][17] As Secretary of State, Paulus recommended the county institute emergency procedures to restrict these transients from registering to vote, which the Rajneeshees challenged in federal court.

[17] Then federal district judge Edward Leavy ruled against the Rajneeshees, determining the emergency procedures were proper.

[16][17] The religious sect later faced government investigations over immigration fraud, a related failed murder plot, and the first bioterrorist attack in the United States.

[23] During this period, Paulus was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to help oversee the 1986 Philippine presidential elections.

[25] She resigned her position on the Council in late 1989 to run for Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction after the retirement of Verne Duncan.

[27] In 1996, she was named to the National Assessment Governing Board by United States Secretary of Education Richard Riley.

[30] She served on the boards of the High Desert Museum in Bend, the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, and the City Club of Portland.

Norma Paulus died in a Portland nursing home on February 28, 2019, from complications of vascular dementia, at the age of 85.