Bill Description: House Bill 106 eliminates the August election date in Idaho.

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Does it in any way restrict public access to information related to government activity or otherwise compromise government transparency or accountability? Conversely, does it increase public access to information related to government activity or increase government transparency or accountability?

House Bill 105 amends Section 34-106, Idaho Code, to remove references to an August election day held on "the last Tuesday in August of each year." Reducing the number of days on which an election can be held could save counties some money. But the greatest benefit of removing this little-known election date is increased transparency. The only elections typically held on this election date are tax levy elections for school districts, and turnout is nearly always abysmally low. 

The benefit of this change could be enhanced by also eliminating the March election date for tax levy questions, which has similar issues in years lacking a competitive presidential primary.

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