Under People's Primary, Independent Voters Get a Candidate in November Too

image
Author: Kaila Cooper
Published: 09 Mar, 2017
Updated: 17 Oct, 2022
2 min read

A bill was recently introduced in Oregon that would reform primary elections in a whole new way. Republican state Representative Knute Buehler, of District 54, is the sponsor of bill HB-3140, also known as the People’s Primary.

The People's Primary opens the first stage of the public election process in a way no other state does. Put simply, HB-3140 reforms the current closed primary system by adding a ballot for independent voters. Voters registered with a party can vote in their party's primary. However, if these voters wish to opt out of participating in their party's primary or are unaffiliated, they can participate in the People's Primary.

Here is how it works:

The system would opt for voters, parties, or a coalition of parties to nominate candidates who they want to be in the primary. Candidates then submit their nomination to the secretary of state to ensure qualification.

Once nominated and confirmed, voters registered with a political party can vote in their party's primary per usual. Voters not affiliated with a party are mailed the People's Primary election ballot, and voters affiliated with a party may request the People's Primary ballot instead of their party's ballot.

Candidates affiliated with a political party who qualify for the primary appear on their party's ballot. All candidates, including candidates not affiliated with a party, appear on the People's Primary ballot and their party affiliation -- or lack thereof -- is indicated on the ballot.

The winner of each party's primary AND the People's Primary would be guaranteed a spot on the general election ballot.

The bill was introduced on March 1. While it would be a new primary system to be implemented, if passed, the concept behind it is not new.

In April 2016, IVN published an article by FairVote detailing the Public Primary, which initially was proposed by a member of the Independent Voter Project (a co-publisher of IVN). Both the People's Primary and the Public Primary are very similar in nature, with the biggest difference being the use of ranked choice voting in the Public Primary.

IVP Donate

READ MORE: Introducing The Public Primary: Protecting the Rights of Voters While Giving Them More Choices

Undoubtedly, HB-3140 would drastically change the current closed primary system in Oregon. According to OpenPrimaries.org, roughly 30 percent of Oregon voters are registered as non-affiliated or independent.

In an election climate where nearly all elections are decided in the primary stage, a significant bloc of voters in Oregon do not currently have an equal say in who ends up representing them. There clearly is a desire for change among these voters. It is up to Oregon lawmakers to decide if establishing the People's Primary will be the change the state needs.

Photo Credit: vepar5 / shutterstock.com

Latest articles

CA capitol building dome with flags.
Why is CA Senator Mike McGuire Trying to Kill the Legal Cannabis Industry?
California’s legal cannabis industry is under mounting pressure, and in early June, state lawmakers and the governor appeared poised to help. A bill to freeze the state’s cannabis excise tax at 15% sailed through the State Assembly with a unanimous 74-0 vote. The governor’s office backed the plan. And legal cannabis businesses, still struggling to compete with unregulated sellers and mounting operating costs, saw a glimmer of hope....
03 Jul, 2025
-
7 min read
I voted buttons
After First RCV Election, Charlottesville Voters Back the Reform: 'They Get It, They Like It, They Want to Do It Again'
A new survey out of Charlottesville, Virginia, shows overwhelming support for ranked choice voting (RCV) following the city’s first use of the system in its June Democratic primary for City Council. Conducted one week after the election, the results found that nearly 90% of respondents support continued use of RCV....
03 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read