Idaho's one last chance to save the state from the grip of extremist candidates [View all]

The upcoming primary election May 17 is the one last chance for Idaho to avoid falling into the grip of some very extreme candidates for public office. The only sure way for Idaho voters to have a say this year is to vote in the Republican primary where extremists are seeking nominations to statewide office. And to do so in the closed primary that Republicans created in 2011, you must be a registered Republican.

If you are registered as a Democrat and want to participate in the Republican primary, go to your county election office and change your registration to Republican by March 11.

If you are unaffiliated, you can currently register as a Republican on primary election day and vote at that time. However, a current GOP-backed bill before the state Legislature would require unaffiliated voters to change their registration by March 11, the same deadline currently imposed on those registered as Democrats or Republicans who wish to change their party affiliation. Watch to see if the bill passes and if it does, make sure you register at your county election office before the March 11 deadline.

As any election expert in Idaho will attest, the primary is essentially the general election in Idaho, given the overwhelming numbers of Republican voters. Who wins the nomination in the Republican primary gets elected in November. This is not the time for Democrats to fall on the sword of loyalty to their party. Nor is it the time for unaffiliated voters to exercise their independent muscles by avoiding a Republican primary where they can truly make a difference.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/idaho-one-last-chance-save-110000617.html