Astoria, OR – According to the state officials, the former President’s qualification has been a major topic in national media, and the Secretary’s office has received significant voter contact on this issue.
State law treats presidential primary elections differently than other elections where the Secretary has the authority to disqualify a candidate. In a presidential primary, voters are not deciding who will hold office or even who will go on the general election ballot.
Instead, they are communicating their preference to party delegates who choose a nominee at the party’s nominating convention.
Legal advice from the Oregon Department of Justice concluded the Secretary lacks the authority to disqualify a candidate in a presidential primary election because there is no set of qualifications for who can be considered at a party nominating convention.
The Secretary’s decision applies only to the primary election, not the November general election.
