Amends existing law to provide that cities with 25,000 residents or less may provide for election of councilmen by districts and that cities with greater than 25,000 residents shall provide for the election of councilmen by districts.

LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO Sixty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2026 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HOUSE BILL NO. 720 BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AN ACT1 RELATING TO ELECTIONS; AMENDING SECTION 50-707A, IDAHO CODE, TO REVISE2 A PROVISION REGARDING THE ELECTION OF COUNCILMEN BY DISTRICTS; AND3 DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.4

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:5

SECTION 1. That Section 50-707A, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby6 amended to read as follows:7 50-707A. ELECTION OF COUNCILMEN BY DISTRICTS. (1) Any city having8 fewer than one hundred thousand (100,000) twenty-five thousand (25,000)9 inhabitants based upon the most recent federal decennial census may, by or-10 dinance, provide for districts and the election of councilmen by districts.11 Upon the adoption of such an ordinance and at least one hundred twenty (120)12 days prior to each general election, the governing body of the city shall13 establish the territory of council districts in accordance with this sec-14 tion. Any city having more than one hundred thousand (100,000) twenty-five15 thousand (25,000) inhabitants based upon the most recent federal decennial16 census shall establish districts and shall elect councilmen by districts17 for districts so established. Districts shall be established no later than18 one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the general election following the19 date that election precincts are established pursuant to the provisions of20 section 34-301, Idaho Code.21 (2) Each district shall consist of one (1) or more contiguous election22 precincts as established pursuant to the provisions of chapter 3, title 34,23 Idaho Code, and each district shall, to the nearest extent possible, contain24 the same number of people based upon the most recent federal decennial cen-25 sus.26 (3) Each city establishing districts for the election of councilmen by27 districts shall establish the number of districts corresponding to the num-28 ber of council seats determined by the city pursuant to section 50-701, Idaho29 Code, or for any city having a governing body governed by the provisions of30 sections 50-801 through 50-812, Idaho Code, the number of council seats de-31 termined by the city pursuant to section 50-805, Idaho Code.32 (4) Upon establishment of city election districts, council members are33 to be elected by the electors of the said geographic district, and any can-34 didate must be a resident of said geographic district. For cities with fewer35 than one hundred thousand (100,000) twenty-five thousand (25,000) inhabi-36 tants that establish districts by ordinance, the council shall determine,37 not less than ninety (90) days before the next general election, the method38 of the implementation of this ordinance.39

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SECTION 2. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby1 declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after2 July 1, 2026.3