SALEM, Ore. – A new political group will appear on the Oregon presidential ballot this fall. The Oregon Secretary of State's office announced Thursday that Americans Elect has submitted enough valid signatures to qualify. But voters will have to wait a little longer to find out who the party's candidate will be.
"Americans Elect" calls itself a non-partisan organization that's trying to give Americans a third option for president. The group says it will hold an internet primary to select a candidate next month.
But an initial round of voting this month had to be scrapped. That's because none of the self-declared candidates have met the group's national requirements so far—namely, getting at least 10,000 people to declare their support on the Americans Elect website. The leading candidates are former Louisiana governor Buddy Roemer and former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson.
If Americans Elect does end up selecting a candidate, that person will appear on the ballot in Oregon and at least 26 other states. The group is collecting signatures to appear on the ballot in Idaho. In Washington, the deadline for third-parties to get on the ballot isn’t until the fall.
On the Web:
Americans Elect: http://www.americanselect.org/
Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network
Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network
