Statesman-Journal Article on SB 326

Bill eases path for outsider candidates
A 2005 law made it harder for non-party runners to qualify

Peter Wong
Salem Statesman Journal • July 17, 2009

Minor political parties and independent candidates will get a boost from an elections bill that Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski plans to sign.

Senate Bill 326, which cleared the Legislature on its final day June 29, does two things.

It repeals a 2005 law that bars voters from signing nomination petitions for a partisan public office in a general election if they already cast Democratic or Republican ballots in a primary election. The law made it more difficult for candidates not affiliated with a party to qualify for the ballot.

It also allows candidates on a general-election ballot to list nominations by a maximum of three political parties, instead of just one. This proposal has been described as "fusion light," based on what is done in seven other states, but advocates say it simply returns Oregon law to what it was prior to 50 years ago.
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