Ballot measure would change county commission from partisan to nonpartisan

By Damian Mann for the Rogue Valley Times

A record 163,581 voters are registered this election season in Jackson County, with nonaffiliated voters continuing to outnumber Republicans and Democrats.

The previous record year was November 2020, when there were 161,163 registered voters during the presidential election, according to statistics from Jackson County elections as of April 9.

By comparison, in November 2022, a non-presidential election year, there were 159,831 registered voters.

Voter registration has surged by 28% since 2016, when there was a total of 127,510 voters.

Nonaffiliates, or those not registered with any party, represent the single largest voting bloc at 59,889, which is more than 20% higher than the major parties.

Before the May 21 primary, the number of voters should continue to swell as more register or change party affiliation before the April 30 registration deadline.

Ballots will be mailed out May 3, and nonaffiliated voters could help determine the fate of a trio of ballot measures that would change the Jackson County Board of Commissioners from partisan to nonpartisan, cut the salaries of commissioners and increase the number of commissioners from three to five.

Since the commissioner position is currently partisan, a Democrat and a Republican will be selected by voters from their respective parties to run against each other in the November election for the commissioner position now held by Dave Dotterrer.

Three Republicans are vying for the commissioner seat: Medford Mayor Randy Sparacino, Jackson County Assessor David Arrasmith and Logan Everett Vaughan, a Republican precinct committee person.

Denise Krause, a chief petitioner with Jackson County for All, is now the only Democrat in the running after Rebecca Mueller withdrew her candidacy. Jackson County for All has organized the effort to bring the ballot measures before voters to change the makeup of the county commissioners.

The other races in the election, such as Jackson County district attorney, Jackson County assessor and various judge positions are nonpartisan.

The election turnout for nonaffiliates is typically far lower than that of Republicans and Democrats.

For instance, in November 2020, 60% of nonaffilates voted, compared to more than 90% for Republicans and Democrats, according to the Oregon Secretary of State.

Behind nonaffiliates, Republicans represent the next-largest group at 48,810, and Democrats number 42,997.

As a result, Republicans now have a 5,813-vote advantage over Democrats. In 2016, Republicans had a 1,632-vote advantage.

Despite their lead, Republicans have seen only modest gains since 2016, when they numbered 46,448. Democrats have lost ground since 2016, when they had 44,816 voters.

“Losing ground is kind of a national trend in both of the parties,” said David Sours, chair of the Jackson County Democratic Party.

“My guess is, in the more conservative areas of the country, the Republican Party would tend to hang on to more of what it had in 2016.”

Likewise, more Democratic areas of the country would see a similar trend, he said.

Sours said he understands the sentiments of nonaffiliates since he was a nonaffiliated voter for eight years before rejoining the Democratic Party.

“I came to the conclusion that my complaints about the party are pretty trivial,” he said.

At the same time, he said he recognizes there is a lot of mistrust with both political parties.

Sours said Democrats have identified and will reach out to about 2,000 nonaffiliates who may share some interest in causes his party embraces.

At the same time, he said Democrats need to stand up for what they believe in and vigorously promote their candidates.

“We need to not be afraid of competing,” Sours said

Randell Embertson, chair of the Jackson County Republican Party, said the growing ranks of nonaffiliates is something his party has tracked for years.

“There seems to be a general disconnect with both parties and the general population,” he said.

Local Republicans, he said will continue to demonstrate that they want safe communities, safe streets and care about family choice.

“We are taking steps and putting our energy to reach the nonaffiliated and hear their concerns,” Embertson said. “We’re finding issues where we can align with their concerns.”

Apart from Republicans and Democrats, there are seven other political parties in Jackson County, with the fourth largest bloc of voters in Jackson County in the Independent Party, which numbers 8,571.

The Libertarian Party has 1,183 voters.

Other minor parties such as the Pacific Green, Progressive, Constitution and Working Families Party of Oregon each have several hundred or fewer voters. The Americans Elect Party has no registered voters in this county, according to Jackson County elections.

Nonaffiliates began their ascendancy as Jackson County’s single largest voting bloc in 2018.

The last time nonaffiliates numbered less than either Republicans or Democrats was in 2016. At the time, nonaffiliated voters were identified as nonpartisan by the Oregon Secretary of State.

Voter registration numbers jumped statewide in 2016 after Oregon’s pioneering “motor voter” law took effect, which automatically registered voters when they renew a driver’s license or provided updated information with the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles.

Many of the new voters don’t select any political party and are registered as nonaffiliates.

“A lot of people choose to stay in that nonaffiliated status,” Jackson County Clerk Chris Walker said.

Since the Oregon law passed, 22 other states have created their own motor voter law.

A further expansion of Oregon’s motor voter law has been considered by the Legislature to automatically register as voters those who sign up for the Oregon Health Plan.

Reach freelance writer Damian Mann at [email protected]. This story first appeared in the Rogue Valley Times.