BOISE, Idaho – An initiative to make Idaho’s primaries open could appear on the ballot this November.
Idahoans for Open Primaries, the organization that collected signatures for the initiative, said that it had collected the requisite amount of support for the initiative to be considered by voters. Campaign Manager Ashley Prince took a victory lap on Tuesday.
“Voters should not be forced to pick a party to participate in an election that they, the taxpayers, are paying for…The Open Primaries Initiative will give Idahoans the freedom to vote in all elections, regardless of party affiliation,” Prince said.
Under a 2011 state law, Idaho voters can only vote in party primaries in which they are registered, meaning Democrats and independents are not allowed to vote in Republican primaries.
Because Idaho is a mostly conservative state, primaries are often the most crucial part of the election process for candidates, with Republicans who win their primaries sailing comfortably to their positions during general elections.
If passed, the initiative could shake-up the Gem State’s political dynamic and make people unaffiliated with either major party a more visible voting cohort.
