Senate Bill 1110 further restricts the ballot initiative and referendum process by requiring signatures from 6% of eligible voters from all 35 legislative districts, as opposed to the current process, which requires 6% of voter signatures from 18 districts.
Idaho already has one of the most onerous ballot initiative processes in the country. Changing the amount of needed signatures to 6% from each of the 35 legislative districts will make it nearly impossible for initiative sponsors to collect the required signatures in the allotted time period. SB 1110 also implicates constitutional concerns under the Idaho State Constitution and the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
The ACLU of Idaho works to defend voting rights for all Idahoans and opposes any attempt to undermine the rights secured by the Idaho State Constitution. SB 1110 mirrors a similar attack that occurred in 2019. Then, SB 1159 sought to limit public-led initiatives by requiring of signatures from 32 of the 35 districts. That legislation was eventually vetoed by Gov. Brad Little.
This Legislation is headed to the Governor's desk.
