SALEM, OR -- Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins Monday announced that the Independent Party of Oregon (IPO) has qualified to be a major political party. The designation permits the party to participate in the May 2016 Primary Election.

In order to qualify for major party status in Oregon, a party needs to claim 5% of the registered voters, or 108,739 registered voters. As of August 16, 2015, the Independent Party had 109,363.

Sal Peralta, Secretary of the Independent Party of Oregon, says IPO has grown from 10,000 just seven years ago. During a recent forum in Bend, Peralta said, "Roughly one in four IPO members are former Democrats or Republicans who switched. Demographically, half of IPO members are under the age of 40, so that makes us the youngest political party in the state. And, the main ideology consistency among our membership is frustration with the Democrats and Republicans."

In Oregon, about a third of voters do not identify themselves as Democrat or Republican.