GOP Presidential Primary Cost State $1.9 Million

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho's Republican presidential primary election cost taxpayers $1.9 million this year, coming in just slightly under what state officials originally estimated.

Idaho lawmakers agreed to move the GOP presidential primary from May to March in 2015. The conservative-dominated Statehouse argued that doing so would allow the Gem State to play a bigger role in deciding the presidential nominee.

However, Democratic lawmakers objected to the move. They argued that taxpayers should not pay for a separate partisan election that is closed to voters who aren't registered as a Republican.

At the time, proponents said creating a separate election just for the GOP primary would cost $2 million. Ada County, the state's highest populated region, had the highest bill out of the state's 44 counties. Official requested more than $391,000 in reimbursements to hold a separate election.