Article VI, Idaho Constitution

Idaho Constitution
Preamble
Articles
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Article VI of the Idaho Constitution is entitled Suffrage and Elections. It has seven sections.

Section 1

	Text of Section 1: Secret Ballot Guaranteed All elections by the people must be by ballot. An absolutely secret ballot is hereby guaranteed, and it shall be the duty of the legislature to enact such laws as shall carry this section into effect.

Section 2

Text of Section 2: Qualifications of Electors Every male or female citizen of the United States, eighteen years old, who has resided in this state, and in the county were where he or she offers to vote for the period of time provided by law, if registered as provided by law, is a qualified elector. No person who is not a citizen of the United States shall be a qualified elector in any election held within the state of Idaho.

Note: Section 2 was amended through HJR 5, approved on November 5, 2024.

Section 3

	Text of Section 3: Disqualification of Certain Persons No person is permitted to vote, serve as a juror, or hold any civil office who has, at any place, been convicted of a felony, and who has not been restored to the rights of citizenship, or who, at the time of such election, is confined in prison on conviction of a criminal offense.

Section 4

	Text of Section 4: Legislature May Prescribe Additional Qualifications The legislature may prescribe qualifications, limitations, and conditions for the right of suffrage, additional to those prescribe [prescribed] in this article, but shall never annul any of the provisions in this article contained.

Section 5

Text of Section 5: Residence for Voting Purposes Not Lost or Gained For the purpose of voting, no person shall be deemed to have gained or lost a residence by reason of his presence or absence while employed in the service of this state, or of the United States, nor while engaged in the navigation of the waters of this state or of the United States, nor while a student of any institution of learning, nor while kept at any alms house or other asylum at the public expense.

Section 6

	Text of Section 6: Recall of Officers Authorized Every public officer in the state of Idaho, excepting the judicial officers, is subject to recall by the legal voters of the state or of the electoral district from which he is elected. The legislature shall pass the necessary laws to carry this provision into effect.

Section 7

Text of Section 7: Nonpartisan Selection of Supreme and District Judges The selection of justices of the Supreme Court and district judges shall be nonpartisan. The legislature shall provide for their nomination and election, but candidates for the offices of justice of the Supreme Court and district judge shall not be nominated nor endorsed by any political party and their names shall not appear on any political party ticket, nor be accompanied on the ballot by any political party designation.

See also

• State constitution
• Constitutional article
• Constitutional amendment
• Constitutional revision
• Constitutional convention
• Amendments
  • Initiated constitutional amendment
  • Legislatively-referred constitutional amendment
  • Publication requirements for proposed state constitutional amendments
  • Rules about constitutional conventions in state constitutions
  • State constitutional articles governing state legislatures

External links

Suggest a link

• Idaho State Legislature, "Idaho Constitution
• University of Idaho, "Idaho Constitutional Revision Commission"
• University of Idaho, "Idaho Constitution"
• The Spokeman-Review, "Idaho Constitution"
• Idaho Secretary of State, "Idaho Constitutional Amendment History"
• History.com, "Jul 3, 1890: Idaho Becomes 43rd State"
• Idaho Historical Timeline

Additional reading

• Colson, Dennis C. (1991). Idaho's Constitution: The Tie That Binds, Boise, Idaho: Caxton Press
• Crowley, Donald, and Florence Heffron (2011). The Idaho State Constitution, New York, New York: Oxford University Press
• Talkington, H.L. (1911). Political History, State Constitution and School Laws of Idaho
• Visit Idaho.org, "Idaho History"