Proposition 1 – Top-Four Primary and Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative

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.

Top-Four Primary and Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative