Idaho Bills
33 bills · 2021 Regular Session
Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding absentee ballot assistance at certain residential facilities.
Absentee ballot assistance for those in long-term care facilities has long been overlooked in the secure voting process. This bill offers help to care facilities by designating three authorized sources of voter assistance.
Adds to existing law to prohibit the use of private moneys for the administration of elections.
64 – 3
Amends existing law to provide for city officer elections in even-numbered years, to provide for the transition of certain city elections from at large to by district, and to revise provisions regarding the redistricting of city council districts.
To increase voter participation in municipal elections, this legislation moves elections of all city officers, mayors, and municipal bonds and levies to even-numbered years on the November general election ballot.Voter turnout is significantly higher in even-year elections.
41 – 21
Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the appointment of a precinct committeeman.
This legislation amends how vacancies in the office of precinct committeeman are filled.
Repeals, amends, and adds to existing law to provide for bond and levy election disclosures and penalties for violations.
To ensure transparency in bond and levy elections by ensuring full disclosure of anticipated tax increases to voters and precluding additional distracting information about other bond and levy obligations which are not impacted by the outcome of the ballot question. The legislation also provides for nullification and penalty if provisions are violated.
48 – 20
Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the election of presidential electors.
This bill would assist in ensuring integrity in our elections process by fortifying the selection of presidential electors. That presidential electors will be chosen based on which candidate won the most votes among in-person voting on Election Day, and authorize absentee balloting based on military service or sworn physical inability to vote in person.
Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding absentee ballots.
During the 2020 Special Session, temporary changes were put in place to address the mailing and processing of absentee ballots in the form of S1001a. These changes specifically addressed the timing of the mailing out of absentee ballots, the time period for opening and scanning returned absentee ballots, and security requirements for this process. These changes proved pivotal to Idaho’s success in administering the November 2020 General Election and the timely release of results. This legislation makes the changes from the Special Session, which expired at the end of the year.
35 – 0
Adds to existing law to prohibit the collection of ballots.
This legislation addresses the issue of "ballot harvesting" - which is the practice of third party individuals and groups, many of them political activists or political parties, "harvesting" absentee or mail ballots from voters and then delivering them to election officials for processing and counting. This legislation would prohibit this practice by limiting ballot handling to those authorized to do so pursuant to Idaho law. Idaho does not currently experience significant problems with ballot harvesting. However, it has become a widespread practice in some other states, where its practice places many voters’ ballots, and the sanctity of their vote, into the hands of those who may have a conflicted interest in the election’s outcome. These individuals may have a political incentive to deliver to the county clerk certain ballots, but not others, based on the ballot harvester’s perception or knowledge of the voter’s choices. Indeed, in 2018, there was at least one U.S.Congressionalelectioninwhichtheelectionoutcomewaslikelychangedbyaballotharvesterwithholding or tampering with absentee ballots. The purpose of this legislation is to help prevent such an outcome in any Idaho elections. The specifics of this legislation are based on the recommendations of the bipartisan Commission on Federal Election Reform, in their 2005 report Building Confidence in U.S. Elections, and would limit ballot handling to election officials, U.S. Mail carriers, employees of nationwide parcel delivery businesses, and acknowledged family members.