Oregon secretary of state offers new primary election resources

Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins released new tools for Oregon voters Monday that will help them check and update their voter registration status or register to vote for the upcoming May 17 th Primary Election.

The web portal www.oregonvotes.gov/myvote provides a “one-stop” online hub for information about voting options for the May Primary. Oregonians have until Tuesday, April 26 th to register to vote or change their voter registration status to participate in any closed primary election.

For Oregonians who have recently visited the DMV, or who will be visiting the DMV soon, they should either immediately return their Oregon Motor Voter card no later than April 26 th , or go online and register to vote at www.oregonvotes.gov/myvote.

At this point in the calendar, voters who wait the 21 days to be automatically registered under Oregon Motor Voter will be registered too late to vote in the May primary.

By returning the Oregon Motor Voter card by April 26 th , or by registering online at www.oregonvotes.gov/myvote by April 26 th , voters can ensure that they can participate in the May Primary election.

“Options are good, and I want to make sure we are communicating as clearly as possible with Oregonians about their options for participating in the May Primary,” Atkins said.

Oregon is the first state in recent history to hold primaries for three major parties and each ballot will look different. The website, www.oregonvotes.gov/myvote includes examples of what the ballot will look like for each primary.

There are three major party primary races that Oregonians can choose to participate in this May:

Democratic Party Primary: For partisan races, only Democratic Party candidates appear on the Democratic primary ballot, and only registered Democrats can vote for those Democratic Party candidates. (Example here) Republican Party Primary: For partisan races, only Republican Party candidates appear on the Republican primary ballot, and only registered Republicans can vote for those Republican Party candidates. (Example here) Independent Party of Oregon Primary: For partisan races, only Independent Party candidates appear on the Independent primary ballot, and only registered Independents, and nonaffiliated voters who make a written request, can vote for these Independent Party candidates. (Example here)

Voters can also choose to register with a minor party or to become a non-affiliated voter. These voters will receive ballots that include local ballot measures and non-partisan races. (Example here)

“We are expecting thousands of new, first time voters to participate in the May election,” said Atkins. “This is why I am working so hard to educate voters about Oregon’s primary system. I want as many Oregonians as possible to check their registration status – or register to vote – by the April 26 th cutoff date leading up to the May Primary.”

Oregon law allows major parties to decide whether to hold “open” or “closed” primaries. In this year’s May Primary, both the Democratic and Republican parties will hold “closed” primaries – meaning that a voter must be registered with that party to participate in its primary election.

The Independent Party of Oregon will hold its first major party primary. Their primary will be “open” to all non-affiliated voters in the state, as well as those voters registered as members of the Independent Party of Oregon. Candidates for partisan races listed on the Independent Party of Oregon ballot are limited to those registered with the Independent Party.

Oregon’s minor political parties each have their own method for choosing their candidates for the November General Election. To learn more about Oregon’s minor political parties, visit www.oregonvotes.gov/parties.

Oregonians with question about voting or the May Primary Election should contact their county clerk or the Oregon Elections Division by vising www.oregonvotes.gov or calling 1 866 673 VOTE (673 8683).