Idaho Democrats have chosen Joe Biden as their nominee for the White House, giving him all 23 delegates in a low-turnout caucus. President Biden secured 95 percent of the vote from just over 2,400 ballots cast.
This year’s caucus differed from past ones, with voters simply filling out ballots instead of moving around the room to show support for a candidate. Only registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters who pledged to participate as Democrats were allowed to vote. Additionally, 17-year-olds could participate if they would turn 18 by the general election on Nov. 5.
In contrast, Idaho’s Republican caucus earlier this year only permitted registered Republicans over 18 to vote, resulting in former President Donald Trump winning all 32 GOP delegates.
President Biden faces a challenging road in winning Idaho’s general election, as the state has consistently voted for the Republican presidential candidate since 1968.
Idaho Democrats transitioned to a primary for the 2020 presidential contest after years of using caucuses. President Biden won that primary with 49 percent of the vote, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) received approximately 42 percent.
This year, both the Republican and Democratic parties had to caucus due to a legislative error that led to the state’s primaries being inadvertently scrapped. A voter initiative on the fall ballot aims to open the state primaries and implement a ranked-choice voting system.
By Rebecca Boone
