KOOTENAI COUNTY, Idaho — One of the most contentious issues on Idaho’s ballot is voting “yes” or “no” on Proposition One.
If passed, the initiative would repeal the state's partisan primary system and replace it with a top-four primary system, which means all candidates seeking an office will appear on one ballot and the top four vote-earners advance to the general election.
Idaho voters will have to decide if they want to keep the state’s current primary partisan system or replace it with a top-four primary system.
Supporters of Proposition 1 say the rank choice vote broadens voter access to participate in the election.
"A major benefit of Proposition One and the top four open primary [system] is that voters would be able to vote for the person, and not always the party, so they could choose to support the Republican they really like for the governor's race," Luke Mayville with the Idahoans for Open Primaries, said. "They could choose to support an independent in their local legislature.”
Those who oppose the initiative believe the current election system should remain in place because it is clear and transparent.
"Right now, we have a system that is very fair because we have guaranteed ballot access for four political parties and independent voters," Jake Ball, spokesperson for the Idaho Fair Elections PAC said. "This completely tosses that notion out.”
Idahoans for Open Primaries is a political action committee supporting the measure. The Idaho Secretary of State’s website shows it’s received about $4.5 million of out-of-state contributions and a little more than $1 million of in-state contributions.
"From day one, Proposition One has been an Idaho homegrown campaign," Mayville said. "We started this campaign over a year ago. Over 2,000 volunteers helped put it on the ballot, and we've raised donations from over 5,000 individual Idaho donors representing all 44 counties in the state.”
Still, the opposing side says there is too much at stake.
“If this were to come into place, we would completely and radically change our entire election system, both primary and general," Ball said. "We would essentially erase the ability for counties to run their own elections, and we would be subject to the whims of outside, very wealthy political organizations who want to change the way we do elections here in Idaho.”