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Committee recommends H 278 to standardize election timelines and ease ballot preparation
Summary
H 278 aligns pre-election dates to simplify county clerks' work, standardizes canvass periods, shortens some filing windows, and sets a three-week early-voting limit; county clerks and the Secretary of State supported the measure and the committee sent it to the floor.
Senator Guthrie summarized H 278 before the Senate State Affairs Committee as a bill to align pre-election dates to reduce confusion for clerks, candidates and voters and to improve timely ballot preparation for overseas and military voters. The proposal would, among other changes, create a one-week filing window for some offices (balanced by a two-week county filing window), a one-week withdrawal and write-in period, allow up to three weeks for early voting, and standardize the canvass period to nine days across districts.
Trent Tripple, Ada County Clerk, presented a handout illustrating the proposed timeline and said all 44 county clerks supported the bill. Tripple said shorter candidate filing windows for state offices were a House compromise and that county filing would retain two-week windows; he also said clerks would try to increase early-voting locations to offset shorter windows where needed. Phil McGrane, Idaho Secretary of State, testified that H 278 continues the state's consolidation of election administration and improves clarity and predictability. Sara Westbrook of the Idaho Association of Counties affirmed the Association's support.
Senator Harris moved to send H 278 to the floor with a do pass recommendation; Senator Toews seconded and the motion carried by voice vote.
