Primary bill clears committee on straight party-line vote

Sen. Russ Fulcher, R-Meridian, moved to send SB 1198, the primary election bill, to the full Senate with a recommendation that it “do pass,” and his motion carried on a voice vote, split along party lines. Senate Minority Leader Edgar Malepeai, D-Pocatello, said he has concerns about the bill. How people vote and which party they choose is “a very, very private thing amongst a lot of people,” he said. “I also worry about how complicated this system could be.” He said he worries about senior citizens trying to figure out their options under the bill, and “the impact on the people in those towns where they are a very small minority.”

Sen. Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, countered, “A good number of the people I work with already think of themselves as registered Republicans or registered Democrats.” But he said he agrees with Malepeai that people who prefer to be unaffiliated should be encouraged to vote. He said he hopes both parties will encourage that.