BOISE, Idaho — A county district court judge ruled against Attorney General Raul Labrador on Thursday, which means the ballot initiative surrounding open primary elections and rank-choice voting will appear on the November ballot.
The Idahoans for Open Primaries coalition praised the 4th District Court's decision to keep Proposition 1 on the November ballot, rejecting Attorney General Raúl Labrador's attempt to block it.
Fourth District Judge Patrick Miller denied Labrador's request to have the petitions gathered by the group's volunteers disqualified, writing, "The Attorney General has not established a right to a declaratory judgment, the Court need not address his claim for an injunction requiring the Defendants to withdraw the petition."
This ruling is a major win for many Idaho voters and the nearly 100,000 people who supported the initiative.
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"AG Labrador has tried at every turn to suppress the voices of Idahoans and disrupt the ballot initiative process, but today, the people of Idaho prevail," Idahoans for Open Primaries spokesperson Luke Mayville said in a press release. "The court’s decision ensures that Proposition 1—the Open Primaries Initiative—will be on the ballot this November."
As Idaho News 6 reported, Attorney General Raúl Labrador refiled this latest lawsuit in the Fourth Judicial District against the group "Idahoans for Open Primaries" after the Idaho Supreme Court dismissed his first attempt to sue. Labrador’s legal team argued the coalition deceived voters by focusing their verbiage on "open primaries" instead of "rank-choice voting."
Judge Miller disagreed, writing, "The evidence the Attorney General submits actually negates the idea that the Defendants perpetrated false statements to thousands of persons who actually signed a petition.”
With only 60 days until the election, Idahoans for Open Primaries urges all Idaho voters to learn about Proposition 1 and its key reforms.
"This is a pivotal moment for Idaho's future. We urge every voter to get informed and be ready to vote yes on Proposition 1. It’s time to restore the right of all voters—including independents—to participate in every taxpayer-funded election," Mayville said.
