The Idaho Supreme Court has rejected a lawsuit filed by the state’s attorney general regarding a ballot initiative advocating for open primaries and a ranked-choice voting system in Idaho. The court did not assess the validity of the arguments presented by Attorney General Raúl Labrador but stated that the case should have been initially filed in a lower court rather than directly in the state’s highest judicial panel.
Labrador’s challenge, submitted last month, alleged that the initiative’s organizers deceived voters by using the term “open primaries” instead of “top-four primary” during signature collection. He also asserted that the initiative violated the Idaho Constitution by including more than one issue on a single ballot initiative.
Currently, Idaho follows a partisan primary system, where each political party establishes its regulations on who can participate. The initiative proposes a primary election where all candidates are listed on one ballot, with the top four proceeding to the general election. In the general election, voters would rank candidates by preference, and rounds of voting would eliminate candidates with the least votes until a majority winner emerges.
The court acknowledged the seriousness of fraud allegations in the initiative process but indicated that such claims should first be taken to a district court. Additionally, it was deemed premature for the court to assess if the initiative breaches the state constitution’s rule on addressing one subject, as this issue can only be reviewed if Idaho voters approve the initiative in the forthcoming general election.
In response to the ruling, the Idaho Attorney General’s Office mentioned that it was contemplating the next legal steps and emphasized the commitment to safeguarding an honest initiative process. On the other hand, a representative for Idahoans for Open Primaries stated that the lawsuit is practically halted due to insufficient time before the general election to revisit the case at a lower court level.
The spokesperson expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, considering it a victory for Idaho voters to have the opportunity to vote on Prop 1 in the upcoming election.