Independent Party of Oregon Holds Historic Internet Primary Election

Received via email today:

"No minor party in Oregon has ever conducted a primary election before. No party of any description in Oregon, major or minor, has conducted an election via the Internet. No Oregon party has ever conducted a primary election at its own expense. The Independent Party of Oregon is currently doing all three. The experiment could change both elections and politics in the state and beyond."  Read more at the Register-Guard

SUMMARY

The Independent Party of Oregon is holding a historic internet primary election through July 30th.

For the first time ever, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Libertarians, Greens, and none-of-the above -- 86 candidates in all -- will compete head-to-head for the Independent Party's nomination. Because of Oregon's new fusion voting law, candidates who receive more than one nomination by a political party may list up to three such nominations on the November General Election ballot.

The election includes more than 20 contested primary races and involves some of the biggest names in Oregon politics.

Candidates seeking the Independent Party's nomination include former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber, US Congressmen Peter DeFazio and Kurt Schrader and their Republican opponents Art Robinson and Scott Bruun.  More than 40 incumbent Democratic and Republican state legislators are also seeking the party's nomination.

More details, including sample ballots, rules, etc. are available at

www.indparty.com/vote
  
BACKGROUND ON THE INDEPENDENT PARTY INTERNET PRIMARY 

Registered members of the Independent Party of Oregon will receive a unique set of credentials directly from the Party.  The elector will then go to the specific URL and is authenticated to receive their specific ballot.  They will then mark the ballot using the eLect solution, review the completed ballot and make changes as needed.  The elector will then cast their ballot and receive a receipt.  At the end of the election, the encrypted ballots are not accessible by any one individual until each of the election officials comes together in a quorum and provides their unique passwords to the system. That allows for the decryption and counting of the votes. At the end of the election, the voter can verify that their vote was received and counted by going to a special Web site.

The Independent Party selected Everyone Counts, a San Diego, California based company that provides secure universal access voting solutions and consulting.

ABOUT EVERYONE COUNTS, INC
Since 1996 Everyone Counts, the industry-leading elections company based in San Diego. 

Everyone Counts, Inc., was recently selected by the U.S. Department of Defense, through the Federal Voting Assistance Program, as a supplier of MOVE Act-compliant voting systems for US states and territories for 2010 elections.  The federal MOVE Act (Military & Overseas Voter Empowerment Act) was passed and funded to ensure that every state and territory is able to implement a solution to provide their voters living or serving in the military overseas with the option of an electronic ballot in 2010.

Everyone Counts has also provided secure remote electronic voting with a choice of electronic or paper ballot return and tabulation for governments on three continents with voters in over 156 countries, including Afghanistan and Antarctica.

ABOUT THE INDEPENDENT PARTY OF OREGON

The Independent Party of Oregon was formed by petition and recognized by the State of Oregon in January 2007. The party currently has more than 55,000 members, making it the third largest political party in Oregon. In 2009, the party played a leading role in the passage of legislation to allow candidates to list the names of up to three nominating parties on the November ballot.

PRESS BACKGROUNDERS ON INDEPENDENT PARTY ELECTION

Oregon's Independent Party launches the state's first online primary - Oregonian - ‎Jul 7, 2010‎

Candidates Woo the Independent Party - Portland Tribune - July 13, 2010

Independent Party launches primary online - Salem Statesman-Journal - July 7, 2010

Independent Party Secretary discusses Internet Primary - KPOJ (audio)

PRESS BACKGROUNDERS ON FUSION VOTING IN OREGON 

Bill eases path for outsider candidates - Salem Statesman-Journal - July 17, 2009

Kulongoski will sign fusion voting bill - Oregonian - July 8, 2009

How would fusion voting change Oregon politics? - Oregonian - June 30, 2009 

CONTACT

Sal Peralta, Independent Party Secretary
503-437-2833  sal@salperalta.com