by Logan Finney, Idaho Reports
The Idaho Senate approved an amendment to the state constitution on Monday, sending a measure to voters this fall asking whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote.
Sen. Doug Okuniewicz, R-Hayden, sponsored the resolution. He referenced cities in other parts of the country which have allowed noncitizens to vote in local elections. He also read a passage from an academic review which suggested Idaho’s existing legal structure that disqualifies felons from voting “might allow municipalities to extend voting rights to other groups.”
The amendment will appear before Idaho voters on the November 2024 ballot. It is the only constitutional amendment that state lawmakers have approved so far this election cycle.
If approved by voters, House Joint Resolution 5 would add the following sentence to the state constitution: “No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be a qualified elector in any election held within the state of Idaho.”
The Senate passed HJR 5 in a 28-6 party line vote. The House passed the resolution on March 11 with Rep. Steve Berch, D-Boise, joining the Republicans in support.
Current Idaho law defines a qualified elector as a U.S. citizen age 18 or older who has resided in the state and county for at least 30 days and registered to vote as required by law.
Logan Finney | Associate Producer
Logan Finney is a North Idaho native with a passion for media production and boring government meetings. He grew up skiing, hunting and hiking in the mountains of Bonner County and has maintained a lifelong interest in the state’s geography, history and politics. Logan joined the Idaho Reports team in 2020 as a legislative session intern and stayed to cover the COVID-19 pandemic. He was hired as an associate producer in 2021 and they haven’t been able to get rid of him since.