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Independent or unaffiliated? Why you might not get to vote in every Oregon primary race

Oregon's closed primary system can be confusing, so we're breaking down the difference between being independent and registering for the Independent Party.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon's primary is just a couple weeks away, and by now you should have your ballot.

Oregon has closed primaries, meaning if you're registered as a Democrat, you can only vote for democratic candidates. It's the same thing for Republicans.

It can be alarming if you're not accustomed to the system, as it was for KGW viewer Debbie Wefer who emailed us with her concerns.

"Last year I changed my voter affiliation to Independent so I would not get all that junk mail," she wrote. "I received my ballot today and there were no state or federal candidates on it for me to vote for."

Here's a rundown on how people like Debbie can and can't vote for in primary elections, and a look at the confusing terminology.

Oregon actually has a party called the Independent Party of Oregon, which has its own candidates and primaries, just like Republicans or Democrats.

RELATED: Your guide for the Oregon primary election May 19, 2020

But Debbie is not a registered Independent; she's actually one of the thousands of so-called "unaffiliated" voters in Oregon. It basically means she is not a member of any political party.

So she and the rest of Oregon's unaffiliated voters are left out of a lot of the big primaries--the presidential primary, U.S. senators and congressmen, state senators and representatives, the secretary of state, treasurer, and attorney general--because all of these positions have a political affiliation.

Unaffiliated voters can still vote in nonpartisan contests, like mayor and city council positions. In Portland, those are pretty big races this year.

RELATED: Candidates look to stand out in competitive Democratic secretary of state field

They can also vote for county commissioners, judges and district attorneys.

And keep in mind: These rules are just for the primary.

In November's general election, unaffiliated voters can vote in any race, regardless of the letter next to the candidate's name.

MORE: Check out The Story with Dan Haggerty on YouTube

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