Idaho Supreme Court Dissmisses A.G. Challenge to Open Primary Ballot Initiative

Earlier this week, the Idaho Supreme Court dismissed Attorney General Raul Labrador’s challenge on the Open Primaries ballot initiative. This much anticipated decision has now paved the way for Idahoans to have their say on Proposition 1 in the upcoming General Election in November.

What is Proposition 1?

Prop 1 is an open primary initiative that would introduce ranked choice voting in Idaho. This is an attempt to open the primary election process back up in Idaho which was originally closed in 2012. Supporters of Prop 1 gathered roughly 97,000 signatures from all four corners of Idaho to qualify the measure for the November ballot.

Why was the Idaho Supreme Court Involved?

Shortly after the organizers gathered the necessary signatures, Labrador filed a lawsuit arguing that the signatures collected were invalid due to alleged misleading tactics by the organizers and supporters. Labrador argued that the initiative’s backers did not adequately explain the ranked choice voting component and misled voters into believing the measure would revert Idaho back to an open primary system.

On Tuesday, the Idaho Supreme Court unanimously dismissed the attorney general’s challenge on procedural grounds and ruled that this issue needs to be reviewed by the lower courts before the high court will weigh in on the matter. It is unclear at this point if the attorney general will pursue further legal action in the lower court; however, with limited time before the November election, it does not seem likely.

Posted in Advocacy on the Move, Idaho Advocacy.