This proposed constitutional amendment provides that only Idaho residents who are citizens of the United States are eligible to vote in elections in the State of Idaho and that noncitizens are not eligible to vote in any election in the State of Idaho. Currently, Section 2, Article VI of the Constitution of the State of Idaho provides: "every male or female citizen of the United States, eighteen years old, who has resided in this state, and in the county where he or she offers to vote for the period provided by law, if registered as provided by law, is a qualified elector." This provision does not expressly prohibit noncitizens from voting. The proposed amendment adds language to provide that only United States citizens may vote in elections in the State of Idaho.

Question:  Shall Section 2, Article VI of the Constitution of the State of Idaho be amended to provide that individuals who are not citizens of the United States may not be qualified electors in any election held within the state of Idaho?

Measure to:

(1) replace voter selection of party nominees with a top-four primary;

(2) require a ranked-choice voting system for general elections.

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.

Funding Source Statement: The Idaho Open Primaries Act will be funded by an augmentation of existing state and county expenditures for advertising and tabulation. Implementation of the act will require 1.) A public awareness effort to inform voters, candidates, and election workers about changes to the election process, and 2.) The purchase of ballot tabulation equipment capable of conducting instant runoff elections.

Fiscal Impact Statement: Under this initiative, new software for tabulating ballots via instant runoff voting is needed; no federally certified software exists for this process, though there is open-source software for tabulation. We cannot estimate the cost of software for tabulation. Seventeen counties need to purchase an election management software at an estimated cost of $300,000. Material costs for a May primary election have been above $800,000. By 2026, the (inflated, population) adjusted value is $1,600,000. The software update may increase to $600,000 were the purchase postponed.

Question: Shall the above-entitled measure proposed by Proposition One be approved?