New bill in Idaho requires disclosure of party affiliation in all election communications

BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) — A new bill introduced Monday in the Idaho Legislature requires the disclosure of party affiliation in all election-related communications.

If passed into law, the bill would amend a section of existing Idaho law requiring that election communications clearly indicate the person responsible for the communication to also include “such person’s political party affiliation, if any, and if the political statement is in support of a candidate the party affiliation of the candidate, if any.”

Rep. Dori Healey, R-Boise, sponsored the new bill and presented it Monday to the House State Affairs Committee. 

“Voters deserve clear, accurate and transparent information to make informed decisions,” the statement of purpose attached to the bill states. “However, misleading or anonymous political messaging can create confusion, undermine trust and threaten election security.”

Some legislators had questions about the new bill, including how it affects nonpartisan offices, such as city council or school board positions.

After a short discussion, the House State Affairs Committee voted to introduce the new bill without any opposition.

As of Monday morning, the bill did not yet appear on the Idaho Legislature’s website. Once it is assigned a bill number, the bill will be publicly posted online – likely later Monday or on Tuesday.

Introducing the new bill clears the way for it to return to the committee for a full public hearing.

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