Oregon Sec. of State Says Independants Can Appear on Primary Ballots
Friday, August 28, 2015
On Friday, Oregon's Secretary of State, Jeanne P. Atkins, announced that Oregon law does not require Presidential candidates to be declared members of the party for which they seek to be nominated.
“Under Oregon law,” Atkins said in a statement, "a candidate for President can be listed on the primary ballot if the Secretary of State determines that the person's candidacy is 'generally advocated or is recognized in national news media,' or if the candidate obtains sufficient signatures on a nominating petition from voters throughout Oregon.”
This clarifies the standing of Sanders, who is not affiliated with the Democratic party.
In July, GoLocal reported that despite strong support for the Senator for Vermont, he may not be able to appear on the ballot due to a state law that said candidates must be a member of a political part at least 180 days before the deadline to file for the election. When asked about the statute at the time, Tony Green, Atkins' communications director, said this:
"ORS 249.046 requires candidates for a major political party to be a member of the party at least 180 days prior to the deadline to file for the election. The statute is unambiguous. However, ORS 249.078 also provides requirements for presidential candidates of a major political party and does not specifically refer to 249.046. Because we expect this question to arise prior to the 2016 Primary Election, we plan to ask the Department of Justice for their assessment."
In the statement, the Secretary of State's office said Atkins would announce a preliminary list of candidates who meet the requirements. That list will be announced on January 5, 2016.
Related Slideshow: Bernie Sanders Rallies in Portland
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