Under Oregon's current primary election system, each voter receives a ballot based on his or her party registration – or lack thereof. Democrats can only vote for Democratic candidates, Republicans can only vote for Republican candidates and independents can’t vote in partisan races at all.
This closed primary system currently in place is inherently unjust and outdated. The closed primary was designed over 100 years ago to put an end to the “smoke-filled rooms” that dominated primary elections. It was successful in doing so, but over the last 100 years our government and the people serving them have evolved – our primary election system has not. When the closed primary was designed most people registered in one of two major parties; today there are seven parties and 25% (1/3 of younger voters) are affiliated with a minor party and increasingly unaffiliated. Consequently, a large number of voters are left disenfranchised, giving more power to special interests and those on the ideological extremes.
So how does the Oregon Open Primary fix this? It’s simple. All voters, regardless of political party affiliation – or lack thereof – receive an identical ballot for the May primary election. Every registered voter can vote for whomever they feel best represents them, regardless of political party. The top two vote-getters for each office advance to the general election in November. It’s that simple.
Dig into the details: Read the text of the initiative.
Have a question about how it works?: Contact us.
