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What to know about Idaho's upcoming Republican presidential caucus

The Idaho Republican Presidential Caucus will be held statewide on March 2. Idaho's GOP hasn't held a caucus since 2012.

BOISE, Idaho — With the Idaho Republican Presidential Caucus rapidly approaching, Idahoans may have questions about how the process works or why Republicans are picking a presidential candidate this way.

In 2023, lawmakers attempted to save the state nearly $3 million by combining all primaries in May but inadvertently eliminated the presidential primary altogether. So, in order to be part of the early presidential process, the Idaho GOP decided they would hold a presidential caucus.

By definition, a presidential caucus is a gathering of supporters of a common movement or candidate. 

Idaho's GOP hasn't held a caucus since 2012 when roughly 40,000 registered Republicans physically showed up in county sites across the Gem State and inevitably supported Mitt Romney, the presidential candidate at the time.

12 years ago, there were 196,271 registered Republican voters, and in 2024, there were roughly 579,998 registered Republicans.

To vote in this year's presidential caucus, you must be a registered Republican before Jan. 1, 2024. Those who turned 18 this year can still register to participate. There will be 210 caucus sites spread out over the state and you must show a valid form of ID at the caucus site to enter. Absentee voting will not be allowed.

On March 2, at 12 p.m., doors will open at caucus polling places. The caucus captain will call the caucus to order with a prayer, a pledge of allegiance and a selection of a tabulation committee.

After the formalities, the process begins with a five-minute presentation by each candidate or from a representative of that candidate, or more likely, a video from each candidate will be played.

During the voting process, voters will cast their vote through a secret ballot, which is different from the usual caucus where voters usually divide into groups based on their preferred candidate. In this year's election, voters will proceed to a designated voting area where they will receive a ballot, fill it out, and then cast their vote into a ballot box.

The Tabulation Committee then will stack ballots by candidates, which will be counted twice for accuracy and send them off to the state party headquarters. Another committee will unseal the ballots and verify the totals.

The candidate who receives more than 50% of the votes is declared the winner and will earn all 32 of Idaho's delegates to the Republican National Convention.

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