Nicolas Raymond via Flickr
Oregon voter rolls are about to get a lot bigger. Starting in January, everyone who applies for or renews a driver's license will be automatically registered to vote, if they aren't already. Drivers can then change their party from "non-affiliated" to one of the state's three major parties, or one of its many minor parties. But even if they do nothing, they will remain as valid, non-affiliated voters.
It's unclear what effect these newly registered voters will have on electoral politics — except for an immediate impact on Oregon's newest major party, the Independent Party of Oregon. For that organization to maintain its major party status, it will need 5 percent of registered voters to continue to identify as Independent Party voters. With the influx of new non-affiliated voters, that adds an additional challenge to the numbers game.
GUESTS:
- Jeanne Atkins: Oregon Secretary of State
- Bill Currier: Chairman of the Oregon Republican Party
- Brad Martin: Executive director of the Democratic Party of Oregon
- Sal Peralta: Secretary of the Independent Party of Oregon