No More Third Parties in Oregon?

As supporters of our Democratic Party, we are all called to the cause of rallying support for Democratic candidates nationwide. Surely we all see eye to eye on many issues, but it is also important to remember the tolerance and opportunity we must give to those with differing views from our own. Questions on this matter have recently arisen in the great state of Oregon that have propelled bipartisan politics, with a strict focus on the “bi”. Oregon, with growing Republican support, especially in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, has set itself up as a leader in the premeditated elimination of third parties.
House Bill 2614 makes it clear that “any voter who casts a ballot in a primary election cannot help nominate an independent candidate to the ballot”. The bill was co-sponsored by state reps Mary Nolan (D-Portland) and Derrick Kitts (R-Aloha) and passed by an overwhelming vote in both the House and the Senate and was signed into law by Governor Ted Kulongoski on July 21st, 2005. It wasn’t until a few weeks ago that the measure started making waves when The Oregonian published a story uncovering the hidden ramifications of the HB 2614. Among other things, the new law, which seems to be a response to the vote-stealing Nader incidents of 2004, effectively limits who a voter can and cannot support, as well as ending the practice of voters signing petitions for multiple would-be candidates. This news comes as a shock, especially in Oregon, where one quarter of the 2.1 million registered voters consider themselves “unaffiliated” or “independent”. While we would certainly hope that these voters “see the light”, so to speak, we as representatives of the true Party of the People, must make it our duty to sniff out acts such as these and defend a nation that thrives on democracy and choice among its voters.