By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
The House State Affairs Committee introduced two bills on Monday that would change voting options in Idaho.
The first, pitched by Rep. Joe Alfieri, R-Coeur d-Alene, introduced a bill that would prohibit the use of affidavits at the polls for voter identification.
Current law allows voters to sign an affidavit if they do not have proof of address or identification. The signature is later verified under the penalty of felony perjury should it be fraudulent.
Alfieri’s bill would repeal that option.
Rep. John Gannon, D-Boise, expressed concern about voters who have lost a driver’s license.
The proposal still must get a public hearing to move forward.
Rep. Dustin Manwaring, R-Pocatello, introduced a separate bill that would consolidate the March presidential primary election with the May primary election. He said it would be a cost savings for the clerks who run the elections.
“In 2020, both parties have done primaries and moved away from the caucus system,” Manwaring said. “The (prior) intent seemed to be to attract more national attention and more visits from presidential candidates to Idaho. Well, this hasn’t worked very well with hardly any presidential candidates visiting Idaho. It also comes at a significant cost. “
Manwaring’s bill estimates there would be a minimum savings of $2.7 million to the general fund every four years if the legislature passed the bill.
The bill must still get a public hearing before it can move forward.
Ruth Brown | Producer
Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.