On March 6, the Idaho House passed HB 197, and on March 13, the Senate State Affairs Committee passed it. It changes procedures for special U.S. House elections. The current law was written in 1899 and has never been used, because Idaho has never had a vacancy in its U.S. House delegation. The existing law seems to require a non-partisan special election.

The bill changes that to a normal partisan election, with a special primary followed by a special general election.