Bill Description: House Bill 471 would require the Ada County Highway District to hold partisan primary elections starting in 2026.

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

House Bill 471 would amend Section 40-1404A, Idaho Code, which deals with "countywide highway districts located in a county with a population of more than two hundred thousand (200,000) persons in which the voters have chosen to establish a countywide highway district at a previous election."

At present, this language only applies to the Ada County Highway District, as Ada County is the only county in Idaho with a population above 200,000 that has a countywide highway district. (Canyon County meets the population threshold and Kootenai County comes close, but these counties each have multiple highway districts, not a single countywide district.)

The bill would add a subsection that says, "Beginning with the elections of 2026, the election of highway district commissioners in a highway district subject to the provisions of this section shall include primary elections pursuant to the provisions of chapter 7, title 34, Idaho Code."

The bill would amend several other sections of code dealing with elections to add appropriate references to "a single countywide highway district office pursuant to section 40-1404A, Idaho Code." 

Elections that include a partisan primary prior to the general election can provide increased transparency by helping voters to better understand candidates' political affiliations. There can also be greater accountability due to the checks and balances inherent in the structure of a political party.

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