As of today, Oregon has its first new officially designated political party in 13 years.

To fix the dysfunction in American politics, reformers should consider fundamental changes to the electoral rules.

Increasingly, Republicans and Democrats view not just the opposing party but also the people in that party in a negative light. Growing shares in each party now describe those in the other party as more closed-minded, dishonest, immoral and unintelligent than other Americans. Nearly half of younger adults say they "wish there were more parties to choose from."

Next, please tell me whether you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of each of the following parties. How about -- [ITEMS ROTATED]? Looking ahead for the next few years, which political party do you think will do a better job of protecting the country from international terrorism and military threats -- [ROTATED: the Republican Party or the Democratic Party]? Looking ahead for the next few years, which political party do you think will do a better job of keeping the country prosperous -- [ROTATED: the Republican Party or the Democratic Party]?

While the Silent Generation and baby boomers have become less likely to identify as political independents as they have aged, Generation X and millennials are maintaining high levels of independent identification.

Americans' party preferences were evenly divided in 2022 after 10 years with a Democratic advantage.

The number of voters who aren't affiliated with a political party continue to swell in Oregon. But when it comes to the May 17 primary, they are out of luck.

Nonaffiliated voters are now the largest voting bloc in Oregon, but they can't pick candidates in most primaries.

Although the U.S. political party affiliation average for 2021 was similar to prior years, the country shifted from a nine-point Democratic preference early in the year to a five-point Republican advantage near the end.

Despite Oregon's reputation as a state that values voter access, one third of its registered voters are barred from participating in the state's Democratic and Republican primaries, The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board writes. A proposal to copy Colorado's system, as suggested by former Secretary of State Phil Keisling, offers an elegant and effective way to enfranchise Oregon's one million nonaffiliated voters.