Judge Rules on Idaho Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative

An Ada County judge ruled against Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador's lawsuit to block a ballot initiative that proposes an open primary and ranked-choice voting system, allowing it to appear on the November ballot. Labrador refiled the lawsuit after an initial dismissal by the Idaho Supreme Court, arguing that the initiative misled voters. Meanwhile, in Oregon, 16 county clerks have raised concerns about a similar measure on the November ballot due to insufficient resources to implement ranked-choice voting. In Arizona, proponents of an open primary initiative, which also includes ranked-choice voting, are urging the state Supreme Court to set deadlines for legal challenges, arguing that ongoing legal disputes could disenfranchise voters. These legal battles reflect broader debates on election reforms in multiple states.