Dividing state’s electoral votes would cut clout

BOISE – Colorado voters have an initiative on the ballot to abandon the winner-take-all system, and instead divide up their state’s electoral votes to match the popular vote.

So what would happen if we did that in Idaho?

Idaho’s four electoral votes have gone to the Republican candidate every year since 1952, except for 1964, when Democrat Lyndon Johnson got them after winning just 51 percent of the Idaho vote.

Even Ronald Reagan’s victory in 1980 wasn’t over three-quarters – Reagan got 66 percent of Idaho’s vote. So under a proportional division, he’d have gotten only three electoral votes instead of four.

Most interesting of all: George Bush Sr. in 1992. He got only 42 percent of Idaho’s vote, but ended up with all four electoral votes. That’s because the rest of the votes were divided between Bill Clinton and Ross Perot.

Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa said it’d be difficult to divide Idaho’s electoral votes, with just four to divvy up. Plus, he said, the current system “in essence gives a smaller state a little more clout.”

With four votes out of 538 in the Electoral College, Idaho has more say in the outcome than its percentage of the nation’s overall popular vote would give it.

States get electoral votes based on their representation in Congress – so we get two for our two senators, and two for our two members of the House.

Colorado, a swing state in this year’s presidential race, has nine electoral votes. Conceivably, if the ballot measure passed and they were divided proportionally, that could tip the race one way or the other.

Public opinion in Colorado is divided. A group called “Make Your Vote Count” is championing the initiative, but opponents, who say it would reduce their state’s electoral clout, have formed “Coloradans Against a Really Stupid Idea.”

They cast the votes

Ever wonder who it is who casts Idaho’s electoral votes? Each of the four parties with a presidential candidate on the ballot has named four electors. If President Bush wins Idaho, the four Republican electors will participate in the Electoral College: former state Sen. John Sandy, former longtime Secretary of State Pete Cenarrusa, state Rep. Debbie Field, and North Idaho’s own Sandy Patano.

If John Kerry were to carry Idaho, his party’s electors would step in: former state Sen. John Peavey of Carey, Richard Chilcote of Boise, and Nancy Lee Hendricks and former state Sen. Patty McDermott of Pocatello. If Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik took the most votes in Idaho, the electors would be Ted Dunlap and Patty Hautzinger, of Nampa; Rob Oates, Caldwell; and Gordon Wilmoth, Boise.

And if Constitution Party candidate Michael Peroutka were Idaho’s choice, the electors would be Gary Schulte of Cocolalla; Rose Johnson, Hauser; Marvin Richardson, Emmett; and Paul Smith, from Lewiston.

Numbers, numbers, numbers

Due to a discrepancy in District 4 legislative candidate Dan Yake’s latest campaign finance report, last week’s column had incorrect numbers. According to corrected figures from the Idaho Secretary of State’s office, Yake has raised a total of $12,692 for his run against Rep. George Sayler, D-Coeur d’Alene, with more than half of that his own money. In the June-to-September reporting period, Yake raised $2,535 from outside contributors. The House Republican Caucus, with a $1,000 contribution, was his biggest donor.

Sayler has raised $16,831 for his re-election bid, including $631 left over from previous years. In the same reporting period from June 5 to Sept. 30, he had $12,111 in contributions. His biggest donation this year was $2,000 from the PAC for Education.

Which reinforces the original point: This is among more than half a dozen North Idaho legislative races in which the Democrat has topped the Republican in fund raising.

Candidate forums

The College Democrats and College Republicans at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston are co-sponsoring a debate between the candidates in the hotly contested local Senate race. All three candidates: Sen. Joe Stegner, R-Lewiston; Rep. Mike Naccarato, D-Lewiston; and Constitution Party candidate Paul Smith will take part, at 7 p.m. Thursday at the LCSC Library.

The Idaho Debates, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Idaho and the Idaho Press Club, will feature 1st District GOP Rep. Butch Otter debating Democratic challenger Naomi Preston tonight at 8 p.m., the only time the two will face off. The debate will be broadcast at 8 p.m. on Idaho Public Television, and also webcast live at 7 p.m. – that’s 8 p.m. Boise time – at www.idahoptv.org.