BABE VOTE, a youth voter registration initiative, said it’s suspending its efforts until further notice after the implementation of a new law earlier this month.
That law, known as House Bill 340, requires those registering to vote in Idaho to show proof of residency to their county clerk’s office if the address on their ID doesn’t match where they currently live.
Until county officials can verify your address with something like a utility bill or lease agreement, you won’t be a registered voter.
“People are not going to hand over proof of residency to volunteers to then turn into the county clerks. People don’t carry around proof of residency,” said Sam Sandmire, a BABE VOTE organizer. “Just getting people to stop having fun for a few minutes to either fill out a voter registration card or to get out their phones and let us help them register online is a big ask."
That’s important because only fully registered voters, for example, are able to sign petitions to qualify a citizen’s initiative or referendum for the ballot.
BABE VOTE and The League of Women Voters of Idaho filed a lawsuit in state district court in March to overturn a separate new statute that no longer considers student identification cards valid at the polls.
House Bill 340, with its requirement that the Idaho Transportation Department issue free voter ID cards to those without driver’s licenses was supposed to act as a compromise for jettisoning student IDs from the polls.
A spokesperson for ITD said those needing a free voter ID can obtain one at their county DMV office. They must be at least 18 years old, have not gotten a driver's license within the past six months and have proof of citizenship.
BABE VOTE said it’s considering asking a judge to grant an injunction to halt this new registration requirement, but it has not done so as of Thursday afternoon.
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