Medicaid expansion initiative approved for November ballot

Secretary of State Lawrence Denney has officially certified the signatures on petitions allowing a Medicaid Expansion initiative to appear on the November ballot.

Submitted by Idahoans for Healthcare, the initiative would expand Medicaid to provide care for 62,000 Idahoans who fall into the state’s health care coverage gap.

The initiative needed 56,192 signatures to get on the ballot. County clerks across the state certified nearly 75,000. Volunteers also exceeded geographic distribution requirements, meeting the threshold in 21 legislative districts instead of the 18 required by law.

“The official certification from the Secretary of State’s office confirms what we’ve known for a very long time: there is widespread support for Medicaid expansion throughout the state of Idaho”, said Idahoans for Healthcare Campaign Manager Jefferson Kemper. “After volunteers spent months collecting signatures and talking to voters in all 44 of Idaho’s counties, it’s clear that Idahoans are ready to have a voice and take control of their own healthcare.”