BOISE, Idaho — In a major change, the Idaho GOP announced they are planning to host presidential caucuses instead of primary elections for the upcoming 2024 election cycle.
The change comes as a result of decisions made in the 2023 legislative session. Lawmakers passed and Governor Brad Little signed House Bill 138 aimed at consolidating the “March presidential primary election with the May primary election date, so that all primary elections in the State of Idaho will be held on the third Tuesday in May.”
The election date being moved was also an effort to align with the elimination of all other March elections, as laid out in House Bill 292, the major property tax relief bill.
The new law inadvertently eliminated the presidential primary because of technical errors. So, lawmakers and the Secretary of State’s office worked on a trailer bill, Senate Bill 1186, to clearly add a presidential primary in May.
The trailer bill ultimately died in committee near the end of the legislative session, leaving a void for what do to with the presidential primary.
The current situation allows for political parties to create their own system to nominate a presidential candidate. The Idaho GOP announced, following their convention in June, that they are moving to a ‘firehouse caucus,' which creates caucuses all around the state, on March 2, 2024.
A caucus traditionally involves people physically getting together in a group, like at a local school, and then separate into smaller groups based on candidate preference and undecided.
Speeches, arguments and debates continue from there to convince people to pick a candidate group, with the biggest group ultimately getting the win.
It may not be the best option according to critics of the format, but the GOP says it's their only choice at this point. It’s a blame that GOP Party Chair Dorothy Moon placed firmly on state leaders in a recent video.
"Idaho's secretary of state introduced legislation to move Idaho's presidential primary from March to May. The bill he introduced in the legislature passed and the governor signed failed to include language that would move our presidential primary to May," Moon said. "Instead, removing the presidential primary completely."
Moon and other GOP leaders said they want to do a March caucus, so that Idaho will be front and center in the presidential primary process. Holding a primary in May, Moon said, is too late in the process for Idaho to see benefits.
"Keeping the Idaho GOP's presidential nomination process in March will incentivize national candidates to campaign in Idaho, learn and debate issues important to Idaho, and appeal directly to the Idaho voters to advance the interest of our state, including our industries, job creators and employers. The Idaho GOP must remain in the front of the presidential nominating process," Moon said.
The Idaho Democratic Party is calling on the Idaho Legislature to reinstate the presidential primary election.
“The elimination of the presidential primary brings an unwelcome outcome for voters: we must now revert to an outdated caucus system. While the original legislation was meant to increase participation, the opposite will now occur," said Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea in a statement.
"Rather than heading to their normal polling location to cast a ballot, Idahoans will have to travel much further, arrive at a set time, and potentially sit through hours of deliberation. For many voters — especially working people, the elderly, and families with young kids — these barriers will prevent them from having a say in the presidential nomination process,” Necochea said.
Idaho lawmakers will have the opportunity to take up the idea in January, unless a special session is called ahead of that.
The debate on the GOP side revolves around timing. Chair Moon argues an early caucus is better than a May primary, others believe the caucus process cuts down on the amount of people that can participate in the process, for practical reasons.
Caucuses are singular events that allow for conversation and community engagement whereas primary elections allow for early and absentee voting.
Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane told KTVB his office is currently working on the topic and that McGrane prefers the primary election over a caucus.
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