On February 13, the Oregon House passed HB 4026 by 43-15. This is the bill that eases the registration test for a party to remain on the ballot, from one-half of 1% of the state total, to one-fourth of 1% of the state total. It has no effect on the alternate vote test, that a party poll 1% of the vote for any statewide race at either of the last two elections.

The bill was requested by the Working Families Party, which can’t make use of the alternate vote test for remaining on, since it virtually never has its own nominees for statewide office.

Currently the Working Families Party has 9,464 registrants, which is .34% of the statewide registration total.