Voter affidavit, candidate withdrawal bills move forward

BOISE — Two bills aimed at Idaho elections — one focused on voter identification and one on candidate withdrawals — were introduced Monday in the Idaho Legislature.

Sen. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, presented a bill to remove the voter affidavit option at the polls. The Senate State Affairs Committee voted unanimously to introduce the bill, which allows it to come back for a public hearing.

Currently, Idaho voters may sign an affidavit as a form of identification at the polls. It is a felony crime to knowingly provide false information on the affidavit form.

“If there’s no ID, I don’t think you should be able to get a ballot, vote and walk away,” Lenney said Monday.

In 2023, Rep. Joe Alfieri, R-Coeur d’Alene, brought forward a similar bill that was narrowly defeated in the House. He argued it would improve election security.

The opponents of the bill said that there was no evidence of fraud using the affidavit in Idaho and that it provided an option for people such as elderly voters who do not drive anymore. That year, another bill that tightened residency and photo ID requirements for voting and registration also created a requirement that the Idaho Transportation Department make available a no-fee, four-year identification card for use in voting. The free ID is only available to those 18 or older who have not possessed a current driver’s license six months prior.

The House State Affairs Committee on Monday introduced a bill to limit candidate withdrawals to 50 days before the primary election in order to prevent “placeholder” candidates. Vacancies that occur because of a death or disqualification would not be subject to the 50-day deadline.

Rep. Brandon Mitchell, R-Moscow, presented the bill, which he co-sponsored with Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls.

“There have been issues with playing games with our very loose and generous candidate withdrawal laws,” Mitchell said. “This has resulted in placing clearly unserious candidates in as placeholders to be replaced later depending on who won the primary in the opposing party.”

He said the current code is outdated and doesn’t account for the number of absentee ballots that go out. The bill would require candidates to withdraw at least 50 days before the primary election; absentee ballots must be mailed starting 45 days before the election.

Under the bill, independent candidates could withdraw ahead of the general election by Sept. 7, as they do not run in primaries.

Mitchell gave the example of former President Joe Biden withdrawing his candidacy after the primary election and naming Kamala Harris as his replacement, although Mitchell noted that the bill would not impact federal elections.

One high-profile example occurred in the Gem State in 2022, when the Idaho Democratic Party appointed Tom Arkoosh to run against Raúl Labrador for attorney general after a placeholder candidate had run in the primary and later withdrew. Labrador won the general election contest.

Guido covers Idaho politics for the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News and Idaho Press of Nampa. She may be contacted at lguido@idahopress.com and can be found on Twitter @EyeOnBoiseGuido.