Idaho Democrats protest state-funded election billboards

BOISE – The Idaho Democratic Party is protesting a voter education campaign launched by the Idaho secretary of state’s office for the upcoming March 8 presidential primary, because it doesn’t indicate that the election is just for the Republican and Constitution parties.

Bert Marley, Idaho Democratic Party chairman, called the campaign, featured on 22 billboards statewide, “misleading and inaccurate.”

Marley demanded that Secretary of State Lawerence Denney alter the billboards by Monday.

Representatives of Denney’s office said they’re not planning any change in the $20,000 campaign.

The billboards say “Official Information” at the top, with a large “Idaho Votes” logo in the center and a website address. Across the bottom in large red letters the billboards say, “Presidential Primary March 8.”

“As your office is aware, this election is in fact not a full primary election,” Marley wrote to Denney. “Rather, it only has two political parties participating: the Constitution Party and the Republican Party. Therefore, your advertising campaign is misleading and inaccurate and likely to cause much confusion for voters seeking to participate in the primary or those voters who associate with any other parties.”

Marley noted that Democrats who want to participate in their party’s presidential candidate selection must go to county caucuses on March 22.

Tim Hurst, chief deputy secretary of state, said a voter complained about the billboards last week. “The purpose of the billboard is to drive them to the Idaho Votes website,” Hurst said. “The Idaho Votes website does in fact have the Democratic caucus on it.”