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Clerks and secretary of state back combined ballot pages; League of Women Voters raises turnout concerns
Summary
H 872, which would allow constitutional amendments and initiatives to be printed on the same ballot page as other items, was advanced to the Senate floor after testimony split between administrative cost-savings and concerns that the change could reduce informed voting.
The Senate State Affairs Committee advanced H 872 on March 20 after testimony from county clerks, the Secretary of State and the Idaho League of Women Voters.
Vice Chairman Bernt said H 872 would allow constitutional amendments and initiatives to be printed on the same page as other ballot items, which proponents argued would reduce printing costs and simplify ballot production. Kootenai County Clerk Jennifer Locke and Phil McGrane, Idaho Secretary of State, testified in favor of the change, listing cost savings and administrative efficiency as reasons to combine the pages.
Dr. Jean Henscheid, representing the Idaho League of Women Voters, testified in opposition. She said separate ballot pages helped voters recognize the distinct responsibility of deciding initiatives and constitutional amendments and worried that combining pages could make it harder for citizens to cast informed votes.
Senator Den Hartog moved to send H 872 to the floor with a do pass recommendation; Senator Toews seconded and the motion carried by voice vote. The minutes record the split in testimony but show the committee advanced the bill to the full Senate for further consideration.
