The final members of Idaho’s leadership on both federal and state levels have announced their opposition to Proposition 1, which will be on Idahoans’ ballots in November.
Congressman Mike Simpson, who represents Idaho’s 2nd Congressional District, confirmed with Idaho Dispatch that he opposes the proposition that, if passed, would implement jungle primaries and ranked choice voting to Idaho’s election process.
Simpson is the final member of Idaho’s congressional delegation to oppose Proposition 1. He joins Representative Russ Fulcher, Senator Mike Crapo, and Senator Jim Risch, who announced their opposition much earlier this election season.
Similarly, Idaho Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke confirmed with Idaho Dispatch his opposition to Proposition 1. Bedke is also one of the last members of Idaho’s state leadership to oppose Proposition 1. He joins Gov. Brad Little, Attorney General Raul Labrador, House Speaker Mike Moyle, and outgoing Senate Majority Pro Tem Chuck Winder.
Proposition 1’s ranked choice voting has led to a litany of problems in other states, including allowing candidates with fewer votes to be declared the winner, having some voters’ ballots counted more than once, and confusing voters to the point where large groups of ballots were eliminated for having been completed incorrectly. It is currently used statewide in Maine and, most notably, Alaska.
Alaska narrowly passed implementing ranked choice voting in 2020, having won by just over 1%. As a result of ranked choice voting’s myriad failures, Alaskans will be seeing a recall of the process on their ballots this year.
In addition to the ranked choice voting component, Proposition 1’s language allows for candidates to identify with any party they choose, even if the party refuses to identify with them. This would encourage politicians to lie to the voter (even more so than they already do) and create a chaotic election process.