The Secretary of State of Oregon has rejected the baseless complaint against the Independent Party of Oregon filed by the Democratic Party of Oregon on June 1, 2010.

"The Democratic Party and its unelected paid operatives attacked us for trying to conduct an historic full membership primary election . . . and then complained that their attack might force us to use the methods other minor parties traditionally use to select candidates (caucus and convention). The taxpayers pay for the Democratic Party's primary election, but there is no government money to pay for ours," said Independent Party chair, Linda Williams.     Read more ...

"Do Oregonians really want their money spent by the Democrats to bully minor parties?" asked Williams. "And they failed to intmidate us." The complaint was baseless. The Independent Party is will conduct the first ever Oregon minor party primary election open to every member. The party's secure online election will open July 8 and close July 30. "No minor party in Oregon has ever provided a more equal opportunity for its entire membership to decide its nominations," said Williams. The vote will be only the second online primary election in U.S. history.

The dismissed complaint contended that, because the Independent Party's bylaws allow (as one alternative) nominations to be made by the IPO Caucus, there is not an "equal opportunity to all registered members of the party within the electoral district to participate in the process of making nominations or selecting the delegates who will make the nominations." The complaint ignored the fact that the Bylaws also allow for e-voting, mail balloting, and membership conventions, and the Party chose the most inclusive method of reaching every single member for its e-vote, vastly expanding the opportunities for all to participate.

Second, even if the party were not conducting such an election, its other processes are fully lawful. Under the caucus delegate system, those delegates who could select the nominees for the Independent Party were themselves selected by elections, conducted on the Independent Party website and open to every party member. "The IPO Nominating Caucus was selected by membership election," said Dan Meek, member of the party's State Council. "Over the past 3 years the party has conducted two elections, allowing any member of the Independent Party to nominate members to the Caucus and to vote on those nominees. The Party also invites all members to actively support the Party and have even greater voting rights."

"The Democrats' complaint is a threat to all minor parties. None receive any taxpayer money to operate and often they are forced to make decisions through a small number of members--maybe fewer than 1% of the registered members--who can attend meetings or conventions. Trying to criminalize and delegitimatize their activities through complaints and `investigations' is a threat to everyone's rights of association," added Secretary Sal Peralta.