Rules of the presidential nominating caucus

Section 1 — Timing and allocation format

Unless the Idaho legislature acted before October 1, 2023, or the relevant national deadline, to restore a March presidential primary, the caucus was to be held on the first Saturday in March of a presidential election year.

The caucus was not winner-take-all unless a candidate received more than 50% of votes cast. If the legislature reinstated a March primary by the stated deadline, the rules governing that process would revert to the version revised in January 2023.

Section 2 — Candidate qualification

To appear on the official ballot, a candidate was required to submit a $50,000 filing fee and declaration of candidacy no later than 90 days before the caucus. Qualifying candidates were to receive campaign space and five minutes to address voters at each location, in person, through a representative, or by prerecorded video.

One-half of the filing fee could be refunded if the candidate attended at least one public campaign event in Idaho between October 1 and the caucus date. Other filing fees were nonrefundable.

Section 3 — Distribution of filing fees

At least half of collected filing fees was designated for the forty-four county central committees to offset county caucus costs. Distribution was proportional to the number of registered Republican voters shown on the state voter roll as of January 1 of the presidential election year.

The remaining amount, after state-level expenses, could be used to reimburse documented county costs exceeding the initial distribution. Claims were due within 21 days after the caucus and were subject to the proportional reimbursement process stated in the rules. Any remaining funds stayed with the state party.

Section 4 — Notice

The chairman was to send official notice and a caucus plan to county and legislative district chairmen no later than one week after approval of the plan. The plan was to identify tasks and deadlines.

Eligible participants were to receive notice by postcard of the time and place assigned to their precinct, mailed no later than 14 days before the caucus. General public notice was also contemplated within 10 days of the event.

Section 5 — Locations and local responsibility

The caucus was to occur simultaneously statewide at multiple locations. Every precinct had an assigned location, and multiple precincts could share one site. Each location required a caucus captain; each legislative district or county required a coordinator. The county chairman held authority to enforce the rules, resolve issues, and oversee the local caucus.

Section 6 — Caucus captain

The precinct committeeman was the default captain. If that position was empty or the person could not serve, a qualified elector affiliated with the Republican Party could be nominated and approved by the county central committee.

Captain duties included:

1. Procuring a facility able to accommodate no fewer than 10% of affiliated Republicans in the precincts served.
2. Registering the captain and facility by the stated January 1 deadline.
3. Soliciting at least three volunteers for every precinct served.
4. Seeking sponsors to help offset costs.
5. Receiving caucus materials.
6. Registering results with headquarters.
7. Conducting the caucus according to supplied instructions.

Section 7 — Caucus coordinator

In a county containing multiple legislative districts, the legislative district chairman served as coordinator for precincts within that district. Where a legislative district crossed county lines, the county chairman served as coordinator for precincts within the county.

The coordinator worked with captains to assign every precinct a location. Where multiple captains shared a site, the coordinator determined the captain and vice-captain by vote or coin toss. The coordinator registered personnel, locations, and precincts, and reported tabulated results. The State Executive Committee could appoint representatives to oversee any part of a county or district process.

Section 8 — Eligibility and supplied materials

Eligible participants were registered electors affiliated with the Republican Party in the county as of January 1, plus voters turning 18 between January 1 and caucus day who signed the specified affidavit after registering and affiliating during that period.

The January 1 voter list was to be sorted by precinct and printed as poll books. Standard materials included instructions, ballots, an agenda, script, checklists, task lists, hand stamps, typical site layouts, and other information needed to conduct a generally uniform caucus.

Section 9 — Identification and admission

Voters were required to show photo identification acceptable for Idaho elections under Section 34-1113, Idaho Code, and sign beside their name in the poll book. Newly eligible 18-year-old voters followed the affidavit and poll-book procedure described by the rule.

The caucus captain was the sole judge of voter qualification. Admission was limited to eligible voters and their minor children.

Section 10 — Opening the caucus

The captain called the caucus to order. Opening ceremonies were followed by a review of procedures. The captain nominated three caucus members to a tabulation committee, subject to a voice vote and an alternative nomination procedure if approval failed.

Each ballot candidate or designated campaign representative was allotted five minutes for remarks or a video presentation.

Section 11 — Secret balloting

After presentations, voters received ballots, used a ballot-marking area, and deposited marked ballots into a ballot box. Votes were secret, and organizers were required to make reasonable efforts to preserve ballot secrecy.

Eligible voters who arrived after the start, or who could not initially enter because of occupancy limits, could vote after earlier participants left. Balloting ceased at the scheduled time.

Section 12 — Counting ballots

The tabulation committee counted ballots at the caucus site while candidates or designees could observe. Ballots were separated by candidate and each stack counted twice. A mismatch required repeated counting until two consecutive counts agreed.

The captain and committee members certified the count by completing and signing two copies of the supplied tabulation certificate.

Section 13 — Reporting and retaining records

After certification, the captain registered final results by the prescribed method. Ballots and one certificate were sealed and delivered to state headquarters. The second certificate went to the coordinator, who also registered the results and delivered that copy.

Section 14 — Preliminary results

After all county results were registered and totaled, the chairman announced the count and declared the preliminary winner or winners.

Section 15 — Verification and delegate allocation

A committee of at least three members was to verify that totals matched within 0.5% or half the margin of victory, whichever was smaller. After verification, the chairman formally declared the winner or winners and announced delegate awards.

If one candidate received more than 50% of statewide votes, that candidate received all Idaho delegates. Otherwise, delegates were allocated proportionally among candidates receiving at least 15% statewide, rounded to the nearest whole delegate, with any remainder going to the winning candidate. Candidates below 15% received no delegates.

Section 16 — Failure to organize locally

If a county or legislative district did not participate or failed to register a location by the January 1 deadline, the state chair was to be notified so the state organization could arrange that county’s caucus. In that event, the state retained the caucus funds.

Section 1 — Nominations Committee

The chairman appointed a Nominations Committee with one representative from each region to select delegates to the Republican National Convention in presidential election years.

Section 2 — Proposed delegate lists

Each presidential candidate was to file a proposed list of Idaho delegates no later than 30 days before the caucus. Eighty percent of delegates and alternates were selected from candidate lists in proportion to caucus delegates won. The remaining 20% were selected as pledged delegates in the same proportion, split evenly between congressional districts, by the Nominations Committee.

Delegate, alternate, and guest lists were confirmed at a special Executive Committee meeting. The delegation chairman submitted the ordered lists by the applicable national deadline and managed substitutions when a delegate became unavailable.

Section 3 — First-ballot obligation

Delegates and alternates were obliged on the first national convention ballot to vote for the candidate who nominated them. Delegates selected as uncommitted could vote for any properly nominated candidate.

Section 4 — Candidate withdrawal or release

If a candidate died, withdrew, or released delegates before the first ballot, committed delegates became uncommitted. Written notification to the state chairman constituted notice of release.

Section 5 — Missing candidate list

If a candidate failed to file a proposed list, the Nominations Committee could select appropriate supporters to fill that candidate’s delegate and alternate positions. If that candidate also died, withdrew, or released delegates before committee proceedings began, the committee could select uncommitted delegates and alternates.

Section 6 — Vacancies and insufficient lists

If a candidate earned more positions than the filed list contained, or a listed person could not serve, the Nominations Committee filled vacancies from a supplemental list filed by the candidate’s designated representative.

Section 7 — Violations and appeals

An individual or official who willfully violated the rules in a way that called results into question was subject to forfeiture of office. An aggrieved party could appeal through the party’s judicial process, which could order a county caucus to be held again under state supervision when timing permitted.

Section 8 — Emergency rule provision

A proposed rule specifically related to the presidential caucus could take effect upon passage by the Rules Committee, subject to later modification or reversal. The committee could meet remotely and vote by phone or email.

Expiration: The rule expressly stated that this section expired after completion of the 2024 Idaho Republican presidential caucus.

Article I, Section 18

Forty-five days before the presidential preference caucus, the state chairman was to notify regional, legislative district, and county chairmen of the rules for selecting delegates to the state and national conventions.

Article IX, Section 4

Only people affiliated as Republican before the primary election, including a presidential preference caucus, could vote on a Republican ballot in that primary or caucus.