Bill prohibiting ‘ballot harvesting’ passes Idaho House

BOISE – The Idaho House on Monday passed a bill making it illegal to deliver a neighbor’s voting ballot to the post office.

The bill, from Rep. Mike Moyle, a Republican from Star, aims to prevent so-called ballot harvesting by making it a crime for someone to convey another person’s mail-in ballot unless they are a household member. Delivering 10 or more ballots to the post office on behalf of other people would be a felony under the bill; delivering fewer would be a misdemeanor.

The bill “tries to make it clear that we don’t like cheaters,” Moyle told his fellow lawmakers on the House floor.

“In Idaho voting should be easy, but in Idaho cheating should be hard,” he said.

But opponents said the bill would criminalize good deeds and potentially violate the federal Americans with Disabilities Act by preventing disabled and homebound residents from getting help to vote from personal aides or health care workers.

There are already several Idaho laws that criminalize illegal voting and election interference, said Rep. Colin Nash, Democrat from Boise.

People with disabilities need help with voting sometimes, Nash said, and so, “consent should be enough to give someone your ballot.”

Rep. Ilana Rubel, also a Boise Democrat, said she’s had housebound constituents ask her to deliver their ballots, and she’s always been happy to do so.

“I’m bragging – I think it’s a great thing to do, it’s a good service,” she said. “I really think we shouldn’t be making good deeds into crimes.”

But Moyle said a single ballot can make a difference in an election, and so the Legislature should work to make the process more secure by limiting who can convey ballots.

“If you really think about what we’re trying to accomplish here, it’s common sense,” he said.

The bill passed 53-15 and now goes to the Senate.