Oregon sees surge in unaffiliated voters now willing to pick a party [View all]

PORTLAND — The hot presidential election is apparently motivating a lot of Oregon voters who would otherwise be shut out of the state's closed primary to take steps that will let them choose a presidential candidate.

Data from the Oregon Secretary of State shows roughly 20,500 voters this year have switched to one of the three parties that can select a presidential candidate in the May contest. That's nearly three times the number of voters who made a switch during the same timeframe in 2008, the last presidential election with contested primaries in both major parties.

Of this year's figure, about 16,670 registered as Democrats, 3,200 as Republicans and 700 as Independents.

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2016/04/oregon_records_surge_in_unaffi.html#incart_river_index