Mailing It In

Recently the state of Idaho has decreed that the upcoming May primary election will be by mail only.  The state officials cited concerns over Idahoans contracting the coronavirus as the biggest reason for punting on the primary.Originally the secretary of state asked the governor to move the primary to June.  The office of the governor responding by ordering the mail only option.  Some states have mail in ballot options which allow folks to avoid going to the polls.  My concern is that the state's decision to mandate mail in only will diminish voter participation.

You don't have to listen to KIDO Talk Radio daily or the national cable shows to know that voter turnout is usually under 50%.  I believe the mail in mandate will reduce participation to under 20% or perhaps even under 15%.  Idaho is a small state, which means you don't need a lot of money to enter into politics.

However, the well funded incumbents will have an unfair advantage.  They'll have money for mailers and other forms of communication.  Challengers do not have the ability to go out and knock on doors because of social distancing.  The state would be much better off if we booted the mail in primary and moved the real primary to June or July.