PRIMARIES: Open them to all voters

We are in the midst of primary season, when we select the presidential candidates for the upcoming November election. This should be a matter of great importance, but here in Idaho we have allowed less than two hundredths of one percent (.014%) of our population to make that determination for one of our major parties.  

According to the Idaho Secretary of State’s office, Idaho has a total population of one million, nine hundred ninety thousand and four hundred and fifty-six (1,990,456). Of course, many of those are children under the age of 18 or are adults not registered to vote. The recent caucus was limited to registered Republicans of which there are 585,000. Of that number, only 39,584 Republicans actually voted or just 6.8% of those that are registered.

These numbers just reinforce the need for Idaho to have open primary voting where all who are registered have a voice in selecting our candidates, not a group that is statistically so minuscule.

DONNA NORDSTROM

Hayden