Elections

February 26, 2022 

"So long as I do not firmly and irrevocably possess the right to vote I do not possess myself. I cannot make up my mind -- it is made up for me. I cannot live as a democratic citizen, observing the laws I have helped to enact -- I can only submit to the edict of others."

--Martin Luther King, Jr.

ELECTIONS

H439 requires that unaffiliated voters must change their voter registration status to one of the political parties in order to vote in the primary elections by the candidate filing deadline prior to the primary election. This limits access to the ballot and is particularly troubling for voters who may wish to know who is running prior to affiliating. This disenfranchises independent, unaffiliated voters. H439 passed the House will now come to the Senate for consideration.

H547 would criminalize, for instance, a person who picks up their elderly neighbor's ballot or more than six family members' ballots and takes them to the post office to be mailed. Further if that person, as is not uncommon in some rural parts of Idaho, collects and mails or otherwise delivers more than ten ballots, they would become a felon. These criminal penalties apply where ballots are properly delivered with no tampering. The sponsor of the bill admits that Idaho has not had any significant problems with our elections as a result of people helping out in this way. This bill passed the House and has been sent to Senate State Affairs for consideration.

H548 provides that the residence for which a person claims a homestead exemption shall be considered their residence for voting purposes. It also provides a mechanism for the Tax Commission to create a database of all exemptions claimed so the Secretary of State can verify residency for purposes of voter registration and candidacy. I am co-sponsoring this bill to provide more transparency and clarity as to residency, voting, and candidacy for office. This bill passed the House and has been sent to the Senate.

H512 requires that taxing districts wait a period of eleven months after a failed bond election before a subsequent bond question of the same type or subject can be placed on the ballot in that district. School districts already face a difficult path to passing bonds because they must garner 2/3 of the vote. When a bond fails, districts often respond to the feedback they receive from constituents to tailor the bond to the desires of the community. With the current dismal state of Idaho's public school facilities, it is especially troubling to restrict access to the ballot to make improvements and provide a safe environment for our children. This bill has passed the House and been sent to Senate State Affairs for its consideration.

H566 provides that public property that is available to the general public may be used by a political party if all political parties are given equal and fair access.