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Committee clears bill to align independent presidential filing deadlines with parties
Summary
The committee voted to send Senate Bill 11-57 to the floor to allow independent presidential candidates to file for ballot access without naming a vice-presidential candidate by Aug. 1; the VP name may follow by Sept. 1. Sponsors said the change prevents a calendar misalignment that prompted a lawsuit last year.
The House State Affairs Committee voted to send Senate Bill 11-57 to the House floor with a due-pass recommendation, a measure sponsors described as a technical cleanup to align filing deadlines for independent presidential candidates with those of party nominees.
Representative Todd Achilles, who presented the bill on behalf of the attorney general and the secretary of state, said the change will let independent presidential hopefuls file by Aug. 1 without naming a vice-presidential running mate and then submit the running mate's name by Sept. 1. "This will allow independent candidates for president to gather signatures to appear on the ballot without naming a vice presidential candidate," Achilles said, describing the bill as a calendar alignment that removes a disparity and helps avoid litigation.
Achilles told the committee that last year an independent candidate sued Idaho over the filing timeline; sponsors said the change equalizes treatment between independent and party candidates and reduces the risk of further suits.
Representative Mickelson moved to send the bill to the floor; the motion carried by voice vote. The committee did not record a roll-call tally on the motion.
The bill was presented as a noncontroversial statutory cleanup related to candidate filing dates; no opposition testimony was recorded in committee.
