Members of the media will not be allowed into caucus sites for the coming GOP caucuses in Idaho, a top official for the state Republican Party confirmed Wednesday.
Only registered Republicans and their children under age 18 will be allowed inside locations for the March 2 contest.
“The intention of this rule is to protect election integrity and ensure that nobody can cast a ballot inside the caucus that is not credentialed to vote at that caucus,” Kiira Turnbow, the Idaho Republican Party’s executive director, said in a statement.
“The press is more than welcome to be outside of the caucus doing exit polling and interviewing caucus participants about their experience,” she added.
The media restrictions were first reported by the Idaho Capital Sun.
Turnbow said the Idaho Republican State Central Committee approved the new caucus rules in June, a year after Dorothy Moon became state party chair.
Moon called the new rules in a statement at the time “a full on rejection of election gimmicks and a full 100% endorsement of a fair, transparent and open process.”
The prohibition on reporters, which raises transparency concerns, applies to all 210 caucus sites across the state, including publicly funded spaces like public schools.
Nevada Republicans imposed similar restrictions on the media during their recent caucuses, though one county’s school district said the local GOP could not block reporters or the general public from attending caucuses at public schools.
Next month’s contest in Idaho will be the first time the state GOP has held caucuses since 2012. Four years ago, Idaho Republicans held a primary that was won by then-President Donald Trump, who later carried the state in the general election.
Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley are the only two major GOP candidates on the ballot in Idaho, where 32 delegates are up for grabs.
