May 20, 2012 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Linda Williams linda@lindawilliams.net 503-293-0399 (after noon)
Sal Peralta sal@indparty.com 503-437-2833
Robert Harris rharris@harrislawsite.com 503-648-4777

The Independent Party of Oregon, the state's third-largest political party with over 75,000 members, will conduct its 2012 Primary Election from June 19 through 8:00 p.m. on July 17, 2012.

The offices eligible for this Primary Election are U.S. President, each of the 5 Oregon seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, 15 seats in the Oregon Senate, 60 seats in the Oregon House of Representatives, and several seats on county commissions that are elected on a partisan basis (as in these counties, for example: Baker, Benton, Deschutes, Gilliam, Jackson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Union, Wallowa).

During that period, each person who is a qualified registered member of the Independent Party will be able to:

• obtain an individualized official ballot at the Independent Party website (indparty.com/vote);
• print out and complete the ballot; and
• sign it and return it to the Independent Party (with a copy
  of a qualifying identity-validating document) by mail, fax, email, or
  personal delivery.

    Read more ...

Robert Harris, an attorney and IPO member who assisted in developing the IPO’s primary rules and processes, said, "The Party would like to acknowledge the cooperation of the office of Secretary of State for their help and guidance. Establishing a sustainable way to fund minor party primary elections, with no government assistance or taxpayer funding, is a huge step forward not only for IPO members but for all voters who aren’t members of the Democratic or Republican parties."

In 2010, the Independent Party conducted the first-ever Oregon minor party primary election open to every member of the party and the first party election conducted through internet voting. It included 86 candidates seeking the Independent Party nominations for 60 different offices. Under each candidate's name of the ballot was a link to the website of the candidate (if furnished to the Independent Party), thus providing instant information to voters filling out their ballots.

The 60 Independent Party nominees in 2010 included the eventual winner in the race for Governor, John Kitzhaber. For seats in the Oregon Legislature, 33 Independent Party cross-nominees won their general election races, while 21 lost, for an overall winning ratio of 61%. The overall winning ratio of Democratic candidates for the Legislature was 53% and for the Republicans was 48%.

The Independent Party will again in 2012 allow candidates from other parties, including Democrats and Republicans, to become eligible to compete for its nomination. Under the fusion voting law Oregon legislators adopted in 2009, a candidate who receives the nominations of more than one political party may print the names of up to 3 such nominating parties next to the candidate's name on the ballot.

All candidates seeking to compete in the Independent Party 2012 Primary Election will be required to complete a candidate questionnaire and either (1) pay a filing fee or (2) obtain signatures of support from Independent Party members and agree to abide by campaign contribution limits very similar t those enacted by Oregon voters in 2006. Candidate applications must be completed by June 1 for early review or by June 14 for final review.

The filing fees are necessary to cover the cost of notice to Independent Party members and conducting the election.