Resolution Proposing Constitutional Amendment Banning Ranked Choice Voting Introduced in Idaho House
By Sarah Clendenon • February 25, 2024Representative Vito Barbieri (R-Dalton Gardens) has introduced House Joint Resolution 3 (HJR3) proposing an amendment to Article VI of the Idaho Constitution. The amendment would add a new Section 8 which would maintain the current standard for election victory in Idaho. Right now, that is one round of voting with the person receiving the highest number of votes having prevailed in their race. Senator Phil Hart (R-Kellogg) is co-sponsoring the resolution.
The language to be added would read,
HJR3“ONE ROUND OF VOTING – PERSON WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF VOTES ELECTED.
In any election, there shall be one round of voting, and the person having the highest number of votes for an office shall be deemed to have won such election.”Advertisement
In order for a Constitutional amendment to be approved and confirmed, Article XX Section 1 of the Idaho Constitution explains that 2/3 of each house of the Legislature must vote in favor of the idea, and then it must go on the next general election ballot. A simple majority (50% +1) of Idaho voters must vote in favor of the amendment in order for it to be ratified and added to the Idaho Constitution.
ARTICLE XX – AMENDMENTS
SECTION 1. HOW AMENDMENTS MAY BE PROPOSED. Any amendment or amendments to this Constitution may be proposed in either branch of the legislature, and if the same shall be agreed to by two-thirds (2/3) of all the members of each of the two (2) houses, voting separately, such proposed amendment or amendments shall, with the yeas and nays thereon, be entered on their journals, and it shall be the duty of the legislature to submit such amendment or amendments to the electors of the state at the next general election, and cause the same to be published without delay for at least three (3) times in every newspaper qualified to publish legal notices as provided by law. Said publication shall provide the arguments proposing and opposing said amendment or amendments as provided by law, and if a majority of the electors shall ratify the same, such amendment or amendments shall become a part of this Constitution.
From HJR3’s Statement of Purpose and Fiscal Note,
HJR3 SOP“This legislation, if approved by the House of Representatives and the Senate, will place a constitutional item on the November ballot.”
Why is this being proposed and how did we get to this point? In the 2023 Idaho Legislative Session, House Bill 179 was passed and signed into law prohibiting ranked choice voting in Idaho. The text of the new statute, currently in place, reads,
RANKED CHOICE VOTING PROHIBITED. (1) No county elections office shall use ranked choice voting or instant runoff voting to conduct an election or nomination of any candidate in this state for any local government, statewide, or federal elective office.
Following the passage of this law, a group called Idahoans for Open Primaries created a proposed ballot initiative and began collecting the needed signatures for their idea to go on the ballot to be considered by Idaho voters. The group would have to gather almost 63,000 signatures statewide, which must include a minimum of 6% of voters in at least 18 legislative districts before May 1, 2024 in order to appear on the November 2024 general election ballot.
If that is accomplished and the initiative is approved by a simple majority of voters statewide in November, it would change several sections of Idaho law, including repealing the current prohibition on ranked choice voting found in Idaho Code §34-903B. You can view the entire list of changes the initiative would make to Idaho law here.
The summary explains,
“THIS MEASURE PROPOSES TWO DISTINCT CHANGES TO ELECTIONS FOR MOST PUBLIC OFFICES.
FIRST, THIS MEASURE WOULD ABOLISH IDAHO’S PARTY PRIMARIES. UNDER CURRENT LAW, POLITICAL PARTIES NOMINATE CANDIDATES THROUGH PRIMARY ELECTIONS IN WHICH PARTY MEMBERS VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE TO REPRESENT THE PARTY IN THE GENERAL ELECTION. THE INITIATIVE CREATES A SYSTEM WHERE ALL CANDIDATES PARTICIPATE IN A TOP-FOUR PRIMARY AND VOTERS MAY VOTE ON ALL CANDIDATES. THE TOP FOUR VOTE-EARNERS FOR EACH OFFICE WOULD ADVANCE TO THE GENERAL ELECTION. CANDIDATES COULD LIST ANY AFFILIATION ON THE BALLOT, BUT WOULD NOT REPRESENT POLITICAL PARTIES, AND NEED NOT BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PARTY THEY NAME.
SECOND, THE MEASURE WOULD REQUIRE A RANKED-CHOICE VOTING SYSTEM FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION. UNDER CURRENT LAW, VOTERS MAY SELECT ONE CANDIDATE FOR EACH OFFICE, AND THE CANDIDATE WITH THE MOST VOTES WINS. UNDER THE RANKED-CHOICE VOTING SYSTEM, VOTERS RANK CANDIDATES ON THE BALLOT IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE, BUT NEED NOT RANK EVERY CANDIDATE. THE VOTES ARE COUNTED IN SUCCESSIVE ROUNDS, AND THE CANDIDATE RECEIVING THE FEWEST VOTES IN EACH ROUND IS ELIMINATED. A VOTE FOR AN ELIMINATED CANDIDATE WILL TRANSFER TO THE VOTER’S NEXT-HIGHEST-RANKED ACTIVE CANDIDATE. THE CANDIDATE WITH THE MOST VOTES IN THE FINAL ROUND WINS.”
Reclaim Idaho, a group assisting Idahoans for Open Primaries in gathering the needed signatures, explains why they support the idea of ranked choice voting,
“Why support the Open Primaries Initiative? There are at least two big reasons: This initiative will give us more freedom and better leadership.
-More freedom. It’s wrong that Idaho blocks independent voters from participating in elections unless they join a political party. The Open Primaries initiative will give all voters, regardless of party affiliation, the freedom to vote in all elections.
-Better leadership. By giving voice and power back to Idaho voters, the Open Primaries initiative will help elect more independent-minded leaders who are focused on solving problems, not wasting time with distractions and controversies that turn us against each other.”
Some vehemently oppose the idea. Greg Pruett, president of the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance, has been very vocal with his reasons for opposing the idea.
“They want to cause confusion for voters and do anything they can to get more liberals elected.
Rigged Choice Voting is confusing for voters and undermines the American way of “one vote for one person.” Despite claims by proponents of the system, it cuts down on participation.
RCV is so bad, that even Democrats in blue states are trying to get rid of it.
Ironically, the only states where there are major pushes to pass RCV, are in red states, where the far-left policies aren’t welcome.”
Idaho Dispatch reached out to Reclaim Idaho and Representative Barbieri for comments on HJR3 and additional thoughts on ranked choice voting. We will update this article if responses are received.
Feature photo courtesy of Youtube.com
Tags: 2023 Legislative Session, 2024 Idaho Legislative Session, Closed Primaries, Constitution Party of Idaho, Constitutional Amendment, Greg Pruett, HJR3, House Joint Resolution 3, Idaho Constitution, Idaho Democratic Party, Idaho Legislature, Idaho Republican Party, Idahoans for Open Primaries, Independent Candidates, ISAA, Libertarian Party of Idaho, Open Primaries, Phil Hart, Political Parties, Ranked Choice Voting, RCV, Reclaim Idaho, Vito Barbieri
13 thoughts on “Resolution Proposing Constitutional Amendment Banning Ranked Choice Voting Introduced in Idaho House”
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Let’s get House Joint Resolution 3 (HJR3) passed and onto the November 2024 general election ballot for a vote by The People.
Do not let socialists/communists gain power in our beautiful State.
This needs passed. The “Idahoans for Open Primaries” are a bunch of Boise commies trying to mess with our state and our laws. Their web site is misleading and cons people into signing their petition. They need pushed out of here. Keep Idaho TRUE red and free!!
About time.
Needs to be passed
Most of the Republicans I know want voting to stay the same. I hope this resolution passes.
As it should be. I’m in support
Democrats, Independents or no label parties can start their own primaries for their own candidates if they want something different. They don’t have to diminish the Republican party primaries with their liberal agenda and elect Rino’s to office.
Need to hold our reps feet to the fire on the need to stop this leftest scheme to takeover of Idaho. Republicans that do not support this amendment will show their true colors.
Reclaim Idaho for democrats…
Not on your life, commie
Ranked voting is a disaster. Ask any California refugee that isn’t a commie looking to open a new franchise in Idaho. A person who literally loses an election can win under ranked voting. It is 180 degree opposite of democracy and republican form of government. Open primaries are a separate matter and should be constitutionally prohibited in Idaho too. Once again, you need only look to California to see how that “democracy” has worked out. Three times the number of Idaho conservatives have been disenfranchised in California by open primaries. If either of those gets established in Idaho, it might as well be Idaho becoming a part of Greater Washington or Greater Oregon, not the other way around.
Nailed it. Speaking as a refugee right here, and one that came to reinforce ID conservative policies, not change them, you nailed it on the head. It’s the sneaky subtle BS they slide in over time that weakens the election process more and more over time. The next thing you know, you’re voting for which Democrat disgusts you the least, because there’s no Republican even on the ballot. First it’s open primaries. Then it’s ranked choice. Then it’s ballot harvesting. Then it’s mass mail-in ballots. Then it’s drop boxes. The next thing you know, you’re walking into a polling station to vote and being told your vote has already been cast by mail. Never mind that you never requested a mail in ballot. Never mind you tore it to shreds when it showed up in your mailbox… all three damned times. But don’t worry… you can cast this “provisional” ballot, and if the STATE OF CALIFORNIA determines that the mail-in ballot wasn’t actually from you, THEN THEY MAY DECIDE TO COUNT YOUR PROVISIONAL BALLOT!
Happened to me two elections in a row. Watched it unfold in real time on the news as voter after voter was told they’d already voted during Newsom’s recall election. Largest recall effort in history… but he “won” with no problem.
All of this was happening long before the same policies were spread across the country in 2020… with the same predictable result.
Ranked Choice Voting forces people to give PART of their vote to someone they would never choose to give ANY of their vote to voluntarily. It shouldn’t be tolerated anywhere in this great nation.
RCV is how we get “Republicans” like Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. No thank you.
There you go! Head off the RINO scum before they can get a foothold. That’s how it’s done. Glad to see this.