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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Two of Idaho’s four GOP presidential electors to be replaced before Monday’s vote

Two of Idaho’s four Republican presidential electors will be replaced prior to Monday’s vote of the Electoral College because they are constitutionally barred as federal employees from serving as electors, the Idaho Statesman reports. The substitutions aren’t expected to change the outcome, with all four expected to cast their votes for Donald Trump.

Rod Beck, who chaired Trump’s primary campaign, will replace Layne Bangerter; and Skip Smyser of Parma will replace his wife, Melinda, the Statesman reports. Both Bangerter and Melinda Smyser are federal employees, as Bangerter works for Sen. Mike Crapo (he’s been on leave to head the Idaho Trump campaign) and Melinda Smyser works for Sen. Jim Risch.

The other two delegates, Caleb Lakey of Kuna and Jennifer Locke of Coeur d’Alene, will vote on their replacements Monday when the electors meet at noon in the governor’s office. Bangerter told the Statesman the change is “strictly a formality.”

You can read the Statesman’s full report here from reporter Bill Dentzer, who writes that the constitutional issue about federal employees serving as electors was raised by Idaho Secretary of State Lawerence Denney, who told the Statesman any change was up to the electors. “I could argue either way, but I’m not sure that this is an issue that I would go to court with,” he said.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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