Idaho Open Primaries initiative to appear on November’s ballot
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI)—Voters will decide whether to open primaries to all voters or just to party members.
On Wednesday, the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office said the Idahoans for Open Primaries initiative met the statutory requirements to appear on the November 5, 2024, General Election ballot.
If approved by a simple majority of voters, the initiative would end Idaho's closed primary elections and create a ranked-choice voting system for the general election.
The Secretary of State’s Office said they issued a letter of acceptance, certifying that the initiative met the required threshold of 62,895 valid petition signatures. This number is equivalent to 6 percent of the total registered voters from the last general election. Additionally, these signatures met the statutory requirements for distribution across at least 18 legislative districts, with a minimum of 6 percent of registered voters from each district. Idaho county clerk’s offices verified the signatures before initiative organizers submitted them to the Secretary of State's Office for final acceptance and review.
Currently, political parties do not have to allow anyone who is not formally affiliated with their party to vote in their primary elections.
The Republican Party has been closing its primary election to only those affiliated with the party. Members of Idahoans for Open Primaries feel many of the elections are decided in the Primary election because the Republican Party has such a majority of voters.
The Attorney General’s official title and summary of the initiative are as follows:
Short Title:
MEASURE TO (1) REPLACE VOTER SELECTION OF PARTY NOMINEES WITH NONPARTY BLANKET PRIMARY; (2) REQUIRE RANKED-CHOICE VOTING FOR GENERAL ELECTIONS.
General Title:
THIS MEASURE PROPOSES TWO DISTINCT CHANGES TO ELECTIONS FOR MOST PUBLIC OFFICES.
FIRST, THIS MEASURE WOULD ABOLISH IDAHO'S PARTY PRIMARIES. UNDER CURRENT LAW, POLITICAL PARTIES NOMINATE CANDIDATES THROUGH PRIMARY ELECTIONS IN WHICH PARTY MEMBERS VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE TO REPRESENT THE PARTY IN THE GENERAL ELECTION. THE INITIATIVE WOULD CREATE A SYSTEM WHERE ALL CANDIDATES PARTICIPATE IN A NONPARTY BLANKET PRIMARY AND ALL VOTERS VOTE ON ALL CANDIDATES. THE TOP FOUR VOTE-EARNERS FOR EACH OFFICE WOULD ADVANCE TO THE GENERAL ELECTION. CANDIDATES COULD LIST ANY AFFILIATION ON THE BALLOT, BUT WOULD NOT REPRESENT POLITICAL PARTIES, AND NEED NOT BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PARTY THEY NAME.
SECOND, THE MEASURE WOULD REQUIRE RANKED-CHOICE VOTING FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION. UNDER CURRENT LAW, VOTERS MAY SELECT ONE CANDIDATE FOR EACH OFFICE, AND THE CANDIDATE WITH THE MOST VOTES WINS. INSTEAD, RANKED-CHOICE VOTING WOULD REQUIRE VOTING FOR EACH CANDIDATE ON THE BALLOT IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE. THE VOTES WOULD BE COUNTED IN SUCCESSIVE ROUNDS FOR EACH ORDER OF PREFERENCE. THE CANDIDATE WITH THE FEWEST VOTES IN EACH ROUND WOULD BE ELIMINATED, AND VOTES FOR THAT CANDIDATE IN LATER ROUNDS WOULD NOT BE COUNTED. THE CANDIDATE WITH THE MOST VOTES IN THE FINAL ROUND WOULD WIN.
Pro- and con-arguments regarding the initiative may be submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office no later than 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time on July 20, 2024. Arguments may be submitted via online form at https://forms.sos.idaho.gov/pro-con/.
Idaho voters will receive a voter pamphlet before the general election containing the initiative language and selected pro- and con-arguments. For more information about the initiative process, visit https://voteidaho.gov/initiatives-amendments/.
