Primary Election Systems

It’s time to establish equal voting rights for nonaffiliated voters, write leaders of an initiative petition who will now seek legislative help opening primaries.

The League of Women Voters of Deschutes County hosted a discussion in Bend about whether Oregon should open its primary elections to all voters.

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The League of Women Voters will host a public presentation in Bend on Thursday focused on the implementation of open primaries in Oregon. Speakers Andrew Kaza and former Rep. Cheri Helt will discuss the potential for allowing all voters to participate in all elections regardless of party affiliation. The event, titled

Oregon voters could soon be asked to approve a sweeping change to the way the state runs primary elections.

The biggest flaw, they say, is that the draft explanations completely omit the proposed measures' biggest impact: 1.1 million more Oregonians would be able to take part in government funded primary elections for the most important offices.

Registered Oregon voters should be able to vote in Oregon’s taxpayer-funded primaries, regardless of whether they have chosen a political party, write Ted Kulongoski, Cheri Helt and Andrew Kaza. It's time for Oregon to open its primaries to all voters.

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“I cannot imagine any scenario in which the bill moves forward,” one Democratic lawmaker said.

Oregonians deserve to have the same equal rights to vote in Oregon's taxpayer-funded elections, whether or not they are affiliated with a political party, writes former congressional candidate Andrew Kalloch. That's why Oregonians should support Initiative Petition 16, which seeks to ensure that access.

With Washington state's candidate filing period over, there are now three Bob Fergusons running for governor.

Open primaries allow voters to choose any party's primary, while closed primaries restrict participation to registered party members. Open primaries have higher turnout but face concerns of strategic voting, while closed primaries preserve party ideology.