Idaho voters may, in the near future, go to the polls a little earlier in the spring.
The state Senate on Friday opted to move the traditional May election, when state and local offices are on the ballot, to mid-April. The vote was 23-12.
Southeast Idaho Republican Senator Jim Guthrie’s bill also calls for the state’s presidential primary, traditionally held in March, to be moved back a month.
“In a May election, many voters question why is there no opportunity to vote for president. In a March presidential primary, the question becomes why can’t I vote for my county commissioner or my state senator?” Guthrie said. “This legislation seeks to offer a compromise in combining all elections to the third Tuesday of April. It provides for consistency, fiscal responsibility and relevance in our primary election process.”
Secretary of State Phil McGrane estimates the state can save about $2.7 million during presidential election years by consolidating the two elections.
The state’s presidential primary was inadvertently canceled last year by a bill that would have consolidated the two elections in May. An attempt to restore the primary was approved by the Senate, but ignored by the House.
Idaho Republicans argue the state needs an early primary to draw the attention of and visits by presidential candidates and give the Gem State some influence before the parties choose their nominees.
When the primary was nixed, the Republican Party organized a statewide caucus, held on March 2. Members spent some of their Saturday in locally-organized meetings, debated and then voted for candidates. Donald Trump won in a landslide.
Several senators who spoke during the Friday debate lauded local party officials for running efficient meetings, but complained the caucus turnouts were only a small percentage of the number of people who would go to the polls for a primary. In some counties, they say, only 5-7% of local party members participated.
Opponents, including Sen. Ben Toews, R-Coeur d’Alene, credited Guthrie for trying to find a compromise. But “I kind of see this as the worst of both,” he said. “We don’t have relevance in the presidential primary process because the decision’s essentially made by April and we don’t have the amount of time we would need to be able to be in touch with our constituents” before an April primary. He says most legislators would be constrained in their campaign activities while in session in Boise.
Others argue an April primary could require candidates to file for office in January, compared to the current filing period, which is March 4-15 this year.
Sen. Phil Hart, R-Kellogg, urged the Senate to hold the primary bill until next year, after Republican Party officials analyze the caucus.
“I need to debrief some people. I need to talk to party leadership. I need to talk to the people in my county. I want to know how they felt that process went,” he said.
He said the next presidential primary would be in 2028, which gives Idaho plenty of time to make adjustments.
The bill now moves to the state House.
