PORTLAND, Ore. (Portland Tribune) — Good news for supporters of Bernie Sanders — he can appear on the 2016 Democratic Primary Election ballot, even though the Vermont U.S. Senator is officially registered as an independent.
Oregon Secretary of State Jeanne P. Atkins made the announcement Friday after consulting with the Oregon Department of Justice in response to questions raised by reporters and others. One state elections law says candidates who want to appear on a party’s ballot must be registered with that party at least 180 days before the filing deadline. But another law says the Secretary of State has sole discretion to decide who appears on which party’s Presidential ballots in primary elections.This story first appeared on the website of our media partner, The Portland Tribune
“Under Oregon law, a candidate for President can be listed on the primary ballot if the Secretary of State determines that the person’s candidacy is ‘generally advocated or is recognized in national news media,’ or if the candidate obtains sufficient signatures on a nominating petition from voters throughout Oregon,” the Secretary of State’s Office said in a press release.
But that does not guarantee Sanders will appear on the Democratic ballot, however. The press release says Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins will not release her list of candidates for another four months.
“As in past presidential elections, Sec. Atkins will announce a preliminary list of candidates who meet the requirement of being generally advocated or recognized in the national media. The preliminary list will be announced Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016,” the press release says.
Sanders probably boosted his chances of making it on the ballot by attracting an estimated 28,000 supporters to the Moda Center on Aug. 9 for a well-publicized rally.