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e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Medford police have arrested a second arsonist Oregon Gulch Fire grows to 6,300 acres July beats heat record 10 things to know for Friday Searchers find body of boy in the Rogue River near Baker Park Crime, Courts and Emergency Services 5,000-acre wildfire forces evacuations in Greensprings Emergency Services Man cited for DUII after drifting into an oncoming lane of Interstate 5 and hitting a truck head-on Two-bit crime spree yields $866 in quarters Community blog: ARSON-FROM WORRY TO RELIEF Politics and Elections Medford council veterans plan exit Former colleagues laud Atiyeh's 'practical' leadership Former sheriff candidate is let go Education Migrant student numbers soar $21 million Science Building upgrades begin at SOU Eagle Point district mulls fate of Trail school SOU Provost James Klein plans to retire Poverty standard hurts Central Point schools State news Nation - World Obituaries Don Mallaghan Ethel Iris McCoy Margaret Elizabeth Powell Van Lynn LaMaster Jack Jerry Ansures (Tooter) Weather Photo Galleries Videos Sports Latest Stories Another decent start for Tiger Lynch ends holdout with Seahawks Coach Riley prepares Beavers for fall camp Coaches rank UO fourth in first poll Flurry of trades prior to deadline Varsity 541 College Sports Coach Riley prepares Beavers for fall camp Mannion, Beavers look to close the gap Riley's coaching longevity bucks the trend in Pac-12 His own Gary Payton Beavers hope new diet plans give them bite Pro Sports Judge OKs record-setting $2B sale of Clippers Recovered from illness, Serena ready for return Darvish, Rangers drop Yanks Even after payday, Seattle's Sherman hungry as ever Fists flying at Philly practices Community Sports LOCAL REPORT Cowden, Hunt power Mavericks in win Medford Mustangs stay hot LOCAL REPORT Rogues come up short against Bells Business Latest Stories Blog: Part 2: How to Stay Cool in 100 Degree Weather Avista requests rate hike of 9.7% Blog: Study finds Oregon's exports slow to recover Contractor sweep nets 34 violations in S. 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Dining India Palace Taco Riendo Uber Herbal Coquina Restaurant Home State BBQ Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living NEWS NOW Why voters should approve the open primary Come Election Day this November, Oregonians will have an opportunity to increase participation in elections, reduce government gridlock and give themselves better choices when they vote. By Pete Kratz MailTribune.com By Pete Kratz Posted Jul. 6, 2014 @ 2:00 am By Pete Kratz Posted Jul. 6, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Come Election Day this November, Oregonians will have an opportunity to increase participation in elections, reduce government gridlock and give themselves better choices when they vote. Today, more than 667,000 registered voters in Oregon are locked out of primary elections for partisan offices. Only those registered with a major party — that's Democrats and Republicans — can vote in these elections. And these are primary elections that are paid for by all taxpayers. Members of minority parties as well as independents can forget it. That's not all. Today, most legislative districts in Oregon are heavily dominated by one of the major parties: Democrats in the cities, Republicans in rural areas. A recent analysis showed that less than 10 percent of the races in the Oregon Legislature in 2014 are truly a toss-up. In most other districts, the elections are effectively over when the primary is over. Whether you are a Democrat living in rural Oregon or a Republican living in inner Portland, you can vote, but your vote won't change a thing. Because of that, you have nearly 350,000 Oregon voters whose votes don't really count in partisan primary elections. Put that number together with the 667,000 listed previously and you have a million voters disenfranchised. That's almost half the registered voters in the state! When half of the voters can't choose who represents them, that's not democracy. It's a systemic failure. And it leads to bad results. Instead of reaching out to all voters in their districts, candidates pledge allegiance to special-interest groups that fund partisan primary elections. In some cases, because elections are decided in low-turnout primaries, candidates can win their races with support from as little as 7 percent of the total voters in a district. The open primary will change all this. All voters will be able to vote in the primary on the same unified ballot, and the two candidates with the most votes will advance to the general election, regardless of party. In districts that are strongly conservative or liberal, the open primary will sometimes result in two Republicans or two Democrats running against each other. This is not a bad thing! The Republican or Democrat who best represents all the voters in the district will be favored to win. With an open primary, those elected will be better able to reach across the aisle and work together to solve the problems facing our state and nation. Let's reduce the partisan gridlock. Give yourself more choice. Choose the open primary. Pete Kratz of Medford is past chairman of the board for the Oregon Business Association. By Pete Kratz MailTribune.com By Pete Kratz Posted Jul. 6, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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