Idaho Republican Party chairwoman Dorothy Moon talks with attendees at the Idaho GOP election night watch party on Nov. 8, 2022, at the Grove Hotel in Boise. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun)
News reporters will not be allowed inside the Idaho Republican presidential caucus on March 2 or allowed to observe party officials tabulating results at party headquarters, raising concerns among some transparency advocates.
Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon and Executive Director Kiira Turnbow told the Idaho Capital Sun that Idaho Republican Party’s rules for the caucus only allow registered Republicans and their minor children to attend. The Idaho Republican Party is using 210 different caucus sites during the March 2 presidential nominating caucus.
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Some caucus sites will be held on private property, such as churches.
But dozens of caucus sites are in public buildings, including public schools paid for by Idaho taxpayers.
Additionally, Idaho Republican Party officials plan to close the state party’s headquarters in downtown Boise while they tabulate results that are called in from each of the 210 caucus sites. News reporters will not be allowed inside during that time but can wait outside the party headquarters, Turnbow and Moon said. Once the results have been tabulated, Idaho Republican officials plan to open the doors to their Boise headquarters, announce the caucus results publicly and post the results to the Idaho Republican Party’s website , Turnbow said.