Deadline to reinstate Idaho Primary is looming

BOISE, Idaho — October 1 is the deadline for the Idaho GOP to notify the national party on how they’ll select delegates for the 2024 presidential election.

For the previous two presidential elections, the GOP has used the Primary System, but in the last legislative session, they accidentally removed it.

This happened while they were trying to switch the Primary Election from March to May. Now there are calls to reinstate it before this weekend’s deadline.

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There are petitions for the two separate primaries, one in March and one in May. Supporters of a March date say it will give Idahoans more of a say in the National Primary. The other side says a May Primary date better aligns with other local elections.

If neither of those happens, a caucus will be required in its place.

“It’s going to be a pretty efficient process, and the Democrats are telling me they are planning the same thing,” Said Senator Scott Herndon from Sagle.

A caucus is a party-run event where party members would vote for the candidate they want.

The last time the party had a caucus for the presidential election was 2012.

Herndon says people who participated in the last caucus might remember it taking a long time because the party had multiple rounds of voting.

“So we’re specifically not going to do that this time,” Herndon said. “The Republican party is calling this a firehouse caucus – you’re in you’re out.” 

Herndon says the party will need to communicate to Republican voters well ahead of the primary, so they are aware of the change.