Presidential hopefuls vie for Idaho voters

by CRAIG NORTHRUP
Staff Writer | March 10, 2020 1:00 AM

Voters in Idaho will today choose who will represent their preferred party, as election officials open the polling stations for today’s presidential primaries.

Idaho is one of six states that will choose where to send its delegates for the Republican and Democratic conventions. The Gem State will also select its choice to represent the country through the lesser-known Constitution Party.

While President Donald Trump is the heavy favorite to take the Republican Party’s nomination, the day still has plenty of drama at stake for the Democrats. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders took an early lead in the delegate count, but former Vice President Joe Biden grabbed the momentum to go with Super Tuesday’s delegates last week. Biden now holds a delegate lead of 664 to Sanders’ 574.

Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and her two delegates represents the only other delegate-holding candidate in the field.

President Trump, for that matter, does not sit alone on the ballot. Fellow Republicans Doe Walsh, Bill Weld, Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente, Bob Ely and Matthew John Matern will all be on the party’s ballot.

Constitution Party candidates Charles Kraut, J.R. Myers, Sheila “Samm” Tittle, Don Blankenship, Daniel Clyde Cummings and Don Grundmann are all running for their party’s ticket.

Michigan, Washington, Missouri, Mississippi and North Dakota will join Idaho in the delegate distribution today. In total, 352 delegates nationwide — about 9% of the total delegate population — will be up for grabs.

Those who are not yet registered to vote can do so at their polling station. Bring an authorized photo identification card and documents proving residence in lieu of a driver’s license or state ID. Examples of documents include auto registration, a bank statement, a credit card statement, a rental agreement or mortgage statement, a report card or a utility bill. Examples of qualifying photo IDs include a driver’s license from another state or a school ID.

Polls open at 8 a.m. today and close at 8 p.m.