Ballot access requirements for political parties in Idaho

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Note: This article is not intended to serve as a guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.

Although there are hundreds of political parties in the United States, only certain parties qualify to have the names of their candidates for office printed on election ballots. In order to qualify for ballot placement, a party must meet certain requirements that vary from state to state. For example, in some states, a party may have to file a petition in order to qualify for ballot placement. In other states, a party must organize around a candidate for a specific office; that candidate must, in turn, win a percentage of the vote in order for the party to be granted ballot status. In still other states, an aspiring political party must register a certain number of voters.

HIGHLIGHTS

As of May 2024, Idaho officially recognized four political parties: the Constitution, Democratic, Libertarian, and Republican parties.

In some states, a candidate may choose to have a label other than that of an officially recognized party appear alongside his or her name on the ballot. Such labels are called political party designations. Idaho does not allow candidates to use political party designations.

To learn more about ballot access requirements for political candidates in Idaho, click here.

See state election laws

Process for a political party to obtain ballot status

Seal of Idaho

See statutes: Title 34 Chapter 5 of the Idaho Code

According to Idaho law, a political party is "an organization of electors under a given name." A political party can qualify to participate in elections in any of the following ways:

“

(a) By having three (3) or more candidates for state or national office listed under the party name at the last general election, provided that those individuals seeking the office of president, vice president and president elector shall be considered one candidate, or (b) By polling at the last general election for any one of its candidates for state or national office at least three per cent (3%) of the aggregate vote cast for governor or for presidential electors. (c) By an affiliation of electors who shall have signed a petition which shall: (A) State the name of the proposed party in not more than six (6) words; (B) State that the subscribers thereto desire to place the proposed party on the ballot; (C) Have attached thereto a sheet or sheets containing the signatures of at least a number of qualified electors equal to two per cent (2%) of the aggregate vote cast for presidential electors in the state at the previous general election at which presidential electors were chosen; (D) Be filed with the secretary of state on or before August 30 of even numbered years; (E) The format of the signature petition sheets shall be prescribed by the secretary of state and shall be patterned after, but not limited to, such sheets as used for state initiative and referendum measures; (F) The petitions and signatures so submitted shall be verified in the manner prescribed in section 34-1807, Idaho Code. (G) The petition shall be circulated no earlier than August 30 of the year preceding the general election.

”

Once the secretary of state certifies that the petition has met the requirements of the law, the party shall have all the rights of a political party and hold a state convention to elect officers and nominate candidates.

Political parties

See also: List of political parties in the United States

As of May 2024, the state of Idaho officially recognized four political parties. These are listed in the table below.

Party	Website link	By-laws/platform link
Constitution Party of Idaho	Link	National party platform
Democratic Party of Idaho	Link	Party platform
Libertarian Party of Idaho	Link	Party by-laws
Republican Party of Idaho	Link	Party platform

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See also

• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Idaho
• Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Idaho
• List of political parties in the United States
• Democratic Party of Idaho
• Republican Party of Idaho

External links

• Idaho Democratic Party
• Idaho Republican Party

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