Idaho Passes Amendment to Prohibit Noncitizens From Voting in Elections

It has been an exciting week in politics. On Tuesday, the general elections happened across the United States along with many local matters in different states. For Idaho, two local matters included Proposition 1 and Amendment HJR 5.

Idaho Agrees to Require ID Proof of Residency to Vote in Future Elections

Proposition 1 was a highly debated and greatly discussed ballot measure that most people in Idaho knew would be on the ballot - even if they didn’t fully understand what it was. But, Idaho Amendment House Joint Resolution 5 was something I hadn’t heard about until I saw the actual ballot.

HJR 5 is an amendment to the Idaho Constitution that aimed to require a legal ID to vote in elections, an effort to prohibit noncitizens from voting. While Proposition 1 was hit with ‘an epic fail at the hands of voters’ it was those same voters who voted in the majority to approve HJR 5 in the Gem State.

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So, for now, there will be no open primaries or ranked-choice voting in Idaho but you will be required to have a valid ID (which could be a driver’s license, passport, Idaho or Federal ID, Idaho weapon permit, or Tribal card) to vote in future Idaho elections.

HJR 5 passed with 65 percent of voters checking the box for ‘Yes’ on their ballots. That’s 560k who voted yes and 302k who voted no.

RELATED STORY: Proposition 1 Dies at the Hands of Idaho Voters