A new political party—the No Labels Party—has qualified to appear on ballots in Oregon.
The No Labels Party says it may run a “unity ticket” in the 2024 presidential election if the two major parties select “unreasonably divisive nominees.”
No Labels is now qualified to appear on ballots in three states and they are working to become a viable political force in more.
The party gained access to Oregon’s ballot last week when the Secretary of State certified the signatures of nearly 30,000 registered voters.
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No Labels says it will run a Republican and a Democrat for president and vice president.
“America is still, fundamentally, a two-party nation,” said Jay Myles Coleman of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. “That said, there are an increasing amount of people who vote for this party who don’t want to be married to it, so I’ll register unaffiliated and vote for Democrat or Republican. It’s been a trend.”
The latest example of a minor party having an impact in Oregon politics was in the 2000 election when Ralph Nader won 5% of the vote, draining support from Al Gore and nearly handing the state to George W. Bush. It’s examples like this that earn minor parties the label of potential spoilers.
“Oregon is always one of the more friendly 3rd party states,” Coleman said. “Look at any ballot. You’ll have Pacific Greens, the Constitution, Working Families. I think in the context of Oregon this is just one more of one of those parties.”
If voters want to affiliate with the No Labels party, they will have to update their voter registration which they can do at county clerks offices in person, or online through the Oregon Secretary of State’s office.
“To register to vote, you don’t need to affiliate with any party,” said Steve Dennison, Deschutes County Clerk. “You can register with one of the major parties to receive a party-specific ballot during the primary election, or you can affiliate with a minor party. All that really does is during a primary election, you will only receive a minor party ballot.”
The Associated Press reports the No Labels formal entry into politics has spooked Democrats and anti-Donald Trump Republicans, who worry a No Labels candidate would tip the scales in favor of Trump or a Republican like him.
