On August 20, the Oregon Citizens Initiative Review issued these findings about Oregon’s Measure 90, the top-two primary initiative. The group voted to oppose the measure by a vote of 14-5. The group acknowledged the positive points about top-two, but concluded that the harm done by limiting choices in the general election to just two candidates outweighs the good. The report will be printed in the Oregon Voters Handbook, which is mailed to all Oregon voters before the election.

The Oregon Citizens Initiative Review was established by the legislature in 2011. In July 2014, the administrators of the panel announced that this year, the Review would investigate Measure 90, and also the initiative for genetically moderated foods. The process for Measure 90 was conducted August 17-20 in the Salem Convention Center, and anyone could attend. Members of the panel had been selected from ordinary voters in a process that started when 5,000 voters were randomly sent a postal letter, asking if they wished to participate. Those who wished to participate were then chosen randomly, with demographic characteristics of the panel matched to the state’s demographics, for ethnicity, sex, income, residence, and age.

Here is an Oregonian newspaper story about the outcome. The reference in the report to the disqualification of certain political parties refers to the Constitution Party and the Progressive Party. If the measure passes, it is overwhelmingly likely they will lose qualified status, because they are far short of having registration membership of one-half of 1% of the state total. The measure would eliminate the alternate 1% vote test because parties would no longer have nominees.

The Commission hasn’t worked yet on the initiative for genetically modified foods. Thanks to Blair Bobier for the link to the newspaper story.