Idaho election recap, 2012

November 14, 2012

Idaho: In this year's general election, only judges of the Magistrate Division stood in retention elections. Thirty-three candidates stood for retention in seventeen counties and were retained.

Magistrate judges stand for retention after their first eighteen months in office, then at the end of four-year terms. All the judges retained will stand for retention again in 2016.

One interesting thing about Idaho's retention elections is the high percentage candidates receive. Though voters are just asked to choose "yes" or "no" in regards to retention, regularly they do so in the 80 percent range. In other states, rates of retention generally favor the 70 percent range.

The highest retention vote in Idaho this year went to Magistrate David R. Kress in Caribou County, who received 90.52 percent of the vote.

For more on this year's judicial elections in Idaho, see: Idaho judicial elections, 2012.