Minor political parties can be at a disadvantage when they are compelled to become major political parties under Oregon law. House Bill 3908 would change the law. (123RF)

The Independent Party of Oregon does not want to be a major political party in Oregon, at least as currently defined under Oregon law.

A party becomes a major party in Oregon under today’s rules by hitting “five percent of the number of electors registered in this state.” The Independent Party of Oregon may well hit that threshold this year. It has hit it before. The requirements when a minor party becomes a major party undermines the ability of the party to be successful.

There are many reasons. One is that candidates for a major party primary can only be people who have been members of the party for 180 days prior to the filing deadline – or 250 days before the election. That makes it hard for a minor party to run candidates. For instance, numerous people wanted to run as Independent Party candidates in the Independent Party’s primary in 2016. They could not because they had not been members of the party.

House Bill 3908 increases the party registration requirement to be a major political party in Oregon from 5%  to 10%. It also “allows only an affiliation of electors who meet and maintain the major political party membership requirements to nominate a candidate who has been nominated by another political party,” the legislative summary says.

Smaller parties that grow should not be penalized under Oregon election law. Pass House Bill 3908. Watch what the members of the major parties in the Legislature do to this bill.