The Idaho Senate State Affairs Committee is sponsoring SB 1195. It abolishes write-ins in party primaries. It also says that if someone wants to vote in a party primary but that person is registered in another party, that voter must switch three and one-half months before the primary. Current law makes the deadline two and one-half months before the primary. The bill would have no effect on independent voters, who are free to join a party at the polls on primary day.

The bill’s sponsors want the bill to take effect for the May 2016 primary. The May 2016 primary is not a presidential primary, but is the primary for all other office.