Idaho voters will get to choose whether to legalize gambling on historic horse races later this fall. It’s the first ballot initiative to come before voters since 2008.
If voters approve the measure, horse tracks could install machines that would let people bet money on races that have already happened.
The machines were declared illegal in 2015 for being too similar to slot machines. Slot machines and many other types of gambling are illegal under the Idaho Constitution.
Backers of the initiative gathered more than 56,000 signatures to put it on the ballot.
A law passed in 2012 also forced campaigns to gather those signatures from all corners of the state. To qualify for the ballot, petition signers have to be spread out across at least half of Idaho’s legislative districts.
The Idaho Secretary of State’s office is also reviewing petitions for a campaign that would expand Medicaid eligibility for up to 62,000 Idahoans.
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