Since the closed primary system was implemented in 2012, nearly 300,000 unaffiliated voters in Idaho have been prevented from participating in our most important elections unless they join a political party. This means taxpayers are funding elections that exclude large swathes of the population. It is wrong to force anyone to choose a party just to have the chance to vote in publicly funded elections.

As a veteran, I take this personally. Idaho is home to 160,000 military veterans, one of the highest per capita population rates in the country. About half of these veterans choose to be independent. We served this country to protect freedoms; One of the most important is the right to vote. However, many veterans are now unable to participate in primaries simply because they do not want to join a political party. This is not the America we fought for.

I was there when the decision was made to close the primary elections in Idaho. At the time, most of us believed we were doing the right thing by tightening the selection process. As a lifelong Republican, I hoped the system would make things clearer and help identify ideologically aligned party candidates. However, over the years it turned out that we were wrong. The closed primary system did not benefit everyday Idahoans. Instead, he handed over control to party bosses, special interest groups, and party elites who seized power.

Proposition 1, the Open Primaries Initiative, offers a chance to correct the mistakes we made by closing our primaries. It puts power back where it belongs: in the hands of voters.

With open primaries, we can expect more accountability from our leaders. Candidates will need to appeal to a broader base of voters rather than narrowing the party’s interests. This will help elect leaders who focus on solving real problems, rather than just ticking boxes for party bosses or big money donors.

The current system has allowed career politicians and party elites to arbitrarily choose who runs, often at the expense of the voices they are supposed to serve. That’s why it’s so important that we pass Proposition 1; This returns power to the people, not political elites or special interest agendas. By broadening candidate appeal, we can make Idaho leaders more accountable to their voters.

We have already seen the unintended consequences of closed primaries. Time and time again, the legislature has had to pass bills to address problems arising from the system. But no amount of band-aids can cover up the real issue. The system is broken and it’s time to correct course.

Proposition 1 would not only give voters more and better choices, but would also make politicians more accountable to the people they serve rather than to those within their party. This is a common-sense solution that would shift power from out-of-state interests back to Idahoans.

We have the opportunity to correct our mistake. By voting YES on Proposition 1, we can open our primaries and ensure that every voter has a say in the direction of our state. Idaho deserves better than a system that sidelines voters and serves special interests. It’s time to do better, and we can do that with Recommendation 1.

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Marv Hagedorn is a retired Chief Warrant Officer of the Navy who served from 1974 to 1994. With 12 years of service in the Idaho State Legislature, including stints in the House and Senate, Marv has been a dedicated advocate for the citizens of Idaho. Appointed Chief Administrator of the Idaho Department of Veterans Services in July 2018, Marv has remained committed to supporting veterans’ rights. In 2010, he co-founded the Wyakin Foundation, a nationally recognized transition program for injured and disabled veterans, and is currently active on Veterans for Idaho Voters.