Losing Elections? Change the Rules!
Many prominent former Idaho pols endorse the 'Open Primaries' initiative, plus updates from WI and WA.
If passed, the Open Primaries initiative here in Idaho would do two things - allow anyone to vote in any primary and implement Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in the general election. See my earlier article if you need more background. In essence, RCV favors lukewarm candidates, and the other promises of RCV have not panned out.
So, what this Open Primaries initiative is really about is ‘election gerrymandering’. I don’t blame its proponents for trying, but let’s be honest about why they are really pushing it. They cannot win elections without changing the rules.
The bitter fight probably won’t be resolved until next November, but here is a crazy idea. Why not pass a state constitutional amendment to ban RCV? It was banned in the legislature last year, but if the Open Primaries initiative passes, it will overwrite the statutes to undo that law. However, if the 2024 legislature pushed an amendment to ban RCV, it would take precedence because the Constitution is higher than Statute.
Last session, the bill that banned RCV received 2/3rds vote in both houses. That is a requirement for an amendment. The final step is to obtain 50% + 1 votes in the next general election. In essence, next November could see two competing ‘initiatives’ on the ballot. If the RCV ban becomes part of our constitution as an amendment, it would nullify that part of the Open Primaries initiative and essentially end the prospect of RCV happening in Idaho.
WI: WEC Chair on the Rocks - The Wisconsin Senate voted 22-11 along party lines to remove the chair of the Wisconsin Election Commission. Meagan Wolfe, the chair of the organization that oversees elections in the state, vows to remain in office until a court backs the removal. Democrats have filed a lawsuit in response. Critics of Wolfe cite lack of confidence in Wisconsin elections. WEC came under heavy fire for changing absentee voting procedures, specifically with respect to nursing homes. In Racine County, an investigation by the Sheriff resulted in criminal charges being recommended on all but one of that county’s commissioners as a result of how they handled absentee voting in nursing homes. Read more here.
WA: King County GOP Wants Answers for Election Snafu - a tabulator ‘server’ apparently malfunctioned and had to be replaced in the midst of their August primary. No notification was provided and the elections officials appear to have violated procedures installing the new server without proper testing. No elections are in question at this point.
Great idea to propose a constitutional amendment to stop RCV. In Idaho, do we need legislators to propose such an amendment, or can this be done by ballot initiative. If the latter, Tim, you'd be the best person to do this.
Here's some more info I've gleaned about RCV recently:
* IDGOP expresses concern over former Governor Otter’s divisive rhetoric and support for Reclaim Idaho’s policies such as Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). Butch Otter, Jim Jones, and others align with the Democrats and leftists on this RCV initiative, which must be defeated to avoid turning Idaho blue: https://idgop.org/2023/09/13/press-statement-idgop-express-concern-over-former-governor-otters-divisive-rhetoric/
* Defeat Ranked Choice Voting! Op-Ed: Stalin Would Defeat Lincoln In Ranked Choice Voting. Add spoiler candidates for Lincoln and his percentage is diluted further: https://redoubtnews.com/2023/09/stalin-would-defeat-lincoln-in-rank-choice-voting/
* Message from Dorothy Moon: https://idgop.org/2023/08/18/idahoans-just-say-no-to-reclaim-idaho-and-ranked-choice-voting/
* Action Items from StopRCV: https://stoprcv.com/