Oregon Territory
January 19, 2007 — Fusion Voting
part oneFusion voting used to be legal in Oregon-but that was a hundred years ago. Now there's a movement to bring fusion voting back.
Fusion voting allows more than one party to nominate the same candidate. Votes from different parties are then combined for that candidate's total number of votes.
Under Oregon's current election laws, candidates are nominated by their own party in primary elections. The primary election winners than face off in a general election.
Proponents of fusion voting say the current system creates a system where it's virtually impossible for minor party candidates to win elections. They say fusion voting would force candidates to focus on the issues rather than personalities.
A bill to allow candidates to accept the nomination of more than one party is currently under consideration in the Oregon Legislature.
This week, we're exploring that bill and other details of fusion voting in Oregon.
Transcript of Forum on Fusion Voting, PSU, Jan. 12, 2007
Host: Allison Frost
Panelists from recent Portland State University forum on Fusion Voting: Daniel Cantor, Exec. Dir. of the Working Families Party of New York; State Sen. Ben Westlund (D-Tumalo); State Rep. Chip Shields (D-Portland),; Melody Rose, PSU Political Science Professor; Regina Lawrence, Moderator.
Links:
- Recent Programs
- June 29, 2007: Oregon: 50 Years From Now
- June 22, 2007: Oregon Legislature
- June 15, 2007: Tom Spanbauer
- June 8, 2007: Tidepooling with Jane Lubchenco
- June 1, 2007: Marriage and Domestic Partnerships
- May 25, 2007: Memorial Day
- May 18, 2007: When You Were Fifteen
- May 4, 2007: Willy Vlautin
- May 11, 2007: Slow Food
- April 27, 2007: Ben Linder & Nicaragua
- April 20, 2007: Archdiocese Sex Abuse Settlement
- April 13, 2007: 2007 Oregon Legislative Update
- April 6, 2007: Kerrys on the Environment
- March 30, 2007: Street Families
- March 23, 2007: Robert Michael Pyle
- March 16, 2007: Iraq War Medicine
- March 9, 2007: Celilo Falls
- March 2, 2007: Dams
- February 23, 2007: Bird Flu and the Pacific Northwest
- February 16, 2007: Ralph Nader
- February 9, 2007: Libby Trial
- February 2, 2007: Wolves
- January 26, 2007: Addressing Climate Change
- January 19, 2007: Fusion Voting
- January 12, 2006: Wartime Sacrifice
- January 5, 2007: Congressional Issues
- >> Full Archive
