by Peter Wong
Salem Statesman-Journal
July 11, 2010

More than 55,000 Independent Party of Oregon voters will have the chance to take part in the first primary election by a minor party in Oregon — and the first conducted online.

Each received a pass code enabling them to vote for party nominees for governor, U.S. representative and legislative seats. In all, 86 candidates are running, including 36 incumbent state legislators. Several have been nominated already by the Democratic and Republican parties.

The primary started Thursday morning and will end at 5 p.m. July 30. Results will be released afterward. It is too late to qualify to participate in the primary.

Democrats and Republicans nominate their candidates in the May 18 primary. State law provides for a different procedure for minor parties to qualify their candidates for the general-election ballot; their deadline is Aug. 24.