Idahoans for Open Primaries Submits Petitions, Surpasses State Signature Requirements

Boise, Idaho – May 1, 2024 – Idahoans for Open Primaries volunteers are submitting their final petitions to county clerk's offices today for validation. The group estimates they have collected more than 95,200 signatures from Idaho's 44 counties and qualified 20 legislative districts. These results far surpass the rigorous state requirements for a citizen-led ballot initiative.

Idahoans for Open Primaries launched in August 2023 with a grassroots group of Idaho volunteers who wanted to end Idaho’s closed primary system. Under the current system, independent voters are excluded from participating in Idaho's critical elections unless they join a political party.

“Idaho's closed primary system has disenfranchised thousands of voters, leading to growing dissatisfaction with the electoral process, party extremism, and Idahoans feeling like their voices don’t matter,” said Bruce Newcomb, former Republican Speaker of the House and one of the first to sign the Idahoans for Open Primaries initiative. “But don’t just take my word for it, there are 95,000 other Idahoans who agree. We’ve seen support from voters across the state because this reaches beyond partisan politics and offers the chance to give Idaho voters more choice and more voice.”

To qualify a citizen-led initiative in Idaho, campaigns must collect valid signatures from six percent of all Idaho voters who were registered at the last general election (62,895) and capture signatures from six percent of all registered voters in 18 of Idaho’s 35 legislative districts by May 1. 

“Our goal from the beginning has been to provide a solution for the frustration so many voters feel about our broken election system and the politicians who benefit from it,” said Ashley Prince, Idahoans for Open Primaries Campaign Manager. “Each signature volunteers collected was a chance to let voters know about this once-in-a generation opportunity to give our state a better future.”

The group challenged volunteers to collect 15,000 signatures in the final month of the signature drive. Upon final count, nearly 2,000 community volunteers throughout Idaho secured 18,460 signatures, contributing to the final tally of 95,210 signatures. 

“We are confident that these signatures will secure Open Primaries a place on the ballot,” Prince said. “And we look forward to thousands more voter conversations before November.”

Idahoans for Open Primaries anticipates that the final signatures will be verified by county clerks by early July. At that point verified signatures will be submitted to the Secretary of State’s office for final review and approval as a ballot initiative.  

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