On February 13, the Idaho House State Affairs Committee introduced HB 185. It provides, for the first time in Idaho history, that the voter registration form should ask voters to choose a party. Then, there would be separate primary ballots for each party. Parties would have the right to decide for themselves if independent voters could vote in their primaries.

The bill seems to be deficient, in that no provision is made for voters to register as members of unqualified parties. The 10th circuit and the 2nd circuit have ruled that the U.S. Constitution protects the right of a voter to join a party, even if it isn’t ballot-qualified. New Jersey state courts have agreed. Idaho is in the 9th circuit; the issue has never arisen in the 9th circuit.