Plan to restrict primaries faces opposition

BOISE – Idaho’s top elections official joined citizen groups Monday to denounce a Republican-backed attempt to make voters pick a political party to participate in primary elections.

Opponents said the proposal to restrict Idaho’s primaries would discourage moderate voters and independents. Supporters of House Bill 185, however, said it is needed to curb “tomfoolery” that occurs when partisans vote for the weakest candidate on the other party’s primary ticket.

Voters currently may request either party’s ballot. The bill would close primaries to all but registered party members unless a party opts to allow independents to vote.

The Idaho Republican Party added closed primaries to its platform this summer after concerns that Democrats voted in a six-way Republican primary battle for the 1st Congressional District. But the GOP-dominated House State Affairs Committee earlier this month rejected similar legislation, and the new bill might need “a little bit of life support,” said Rep. Thomas Loertscher, R-Iona, committee chairman.

Making voters choose a party will “keep honest people more honest” and might increase the state’s low primary voter turnout, said bill sponsor Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian.

“There won’t be the winking and the nodding anymore,” he said.

But Secretary of State Ben Ysursa said the bill does not dictate how Idaho’s more than 700,000 registered voters will select a party or who will pay for that process. It may also spell trouble for Idaho’s already dismal turnout, he said.

“It’s counterintuitive to think we’re going to increase turnout by reducing the pool of eligible voters. It’s not going to happen,” he said. “Our primaries are abysmal now.”

Ysursa said he was disappointed that he wasn’t consulted.

“When you have a major piece of election legislation, you just might want to go down to the second floor and talk,” he told sponsors. He met with sponsors Monday afternoon to discuss the bill.

Committee members are scheduled to vote on HB 185 this morning.

Members of The Common Interest, a nonpartisan Idaho activist group, oppose restricted primaries, said Keith Allred, a Harvard University professor who leads the organization. He urged lawmakers to amend the bill to allow independents to vote in the primary of their choice.

The Idaho Association of Counties decided last week to oppose the proposal because it does not address costs of registering voters and might reduce privacy in the voting process, according to a press release.

While research did confirm there is a problem with manipulative crossover voting, Allred said, independent voters are typically genuine when they traverse party lines.

Sponsors said the GOP would likely allow independents to vote.

“Any party would be foolish not to allow independents to vote within their primary system,” Hagedorn said, adding that people could even switch parties on Election Day.

Republicans also said the bill would benefit Democrats in the upcoming election because the Democratic National Committee only recognizes primary results from closed systems.