Nine county clerks from around the state have now testified against HB 392, the bill to move Idaho's primary election back from May to August. They're now being joined by Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa. "I stand in opposition to this bill," Ysursa told the House State Affairs Committee. "Having said that, I would commend Chairman Loertscher, who, as we have discussed this over the years, he has been 100 percent consistent in his opposition to the May primary."

Ysursa said, "Our turnouts frankly have been abysmal in the primaries. ... Lately the turnouts are anywhere between 25 and 29 percent, that's of statewide registered voters. We need to crank that up, but I think moving it to August would be detrimental to the voter turnout." Asked by Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, if he'd support a week or two's delay in this year's primary to accommodate large counties that are scrambling to prepare after the newly adopted redistricting plan, Ysursa said, "I think we can get it done. ... I would be open to looking at something like that, but not beyond a few days or a week or so."

GOP activist Rod Beck, the only person thus far to testify in favor of the bill other than its sponsor, told the committee that the Idaho Republican Party has taken a position in support of moving the primary back to August.