Veterans for Idaho Voters (VFIV) is an activist group pushing for ranked-choice voting in the state of Idaho. Previously known as the Idaho Task Force of Veterans for Political Innovation, VFIV had rebranded as of July 2023. It promotes a “Top 4” candidate ranking model, as well as the introduction of “open primary” elections, which would allow voters of any (or no) political party affiliation to participate in any party’s primaries. VFIV and its public representatives have explicitly stated that their goal is to support political candidates they consider to be sufficiently “moderate” instead of those they consider “fringe” candidates. VFIV officially describes itself as “cross-partisan” but targets right-of-center voters and politicians with much of its messaging. ^{1 2}

One of the group’s co-founders, former Idaho state attorney general Jim Jones, was previously a Republican but has more recently identified as an independent. He now frequently attacks his former party while also claiming to stand with those he calls “reasonable Republicans” in an alleged “struggle between traditionalists and extremists” for the “soul” of the party.” ^{3 4} Other members of the VFIV leadership include anti-fossil fuel activist Todd Achilles and former Army media advisor Barry Johnson. ^{5 6}

VFIV is an ally of the Idahoans for Open Primaries coalition, which claims that the state’s policy ensuring that only registered members of a political party vote in that party’s primaries “blocks” independent voters from participating in “the most important elections.” The coalition has launched a petition intended to change the state’s voting laws. ⁷

Background

VFIV was previously called the Idaho Task Force of Veterans for Political Innovation. ⁸ A similarly named group exists in Missouri. This group, Veterans for Political Innovation, has received funding from the pro-ranked choice voting Institute for Political Innovation, as well as from the foundation of the Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps left-wing-activist personal-care brand. ⁹

Activities

In May 2023, VFIV joined its fellow coalition members at Idahoans for Open Primaries to file a ballot measure that would make party primary elections open to all voters, regardless of their actual affiliation with a given party (or lack thereof). It would also implement ranked choice voting in the state. ¹⁰

Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador (R) initially rejected the measure, arguing that it violated an Idaho constitutional provision requiring that candidates be elected by a plurality of votes. In response, members of the coalition claimed that Labrador had a conflict of interest because he had previously criticized the initiative. ¹¹ In August, the state Supreme Court issued an opinion that Labrador’s office needed to revise the descriptions it wrote of the initiative which would appear on the ballot. ¹²

Leadership

Todd Achilles is a co-founder of the Idaho Task Force of Veterans for Political Innovation, now called Veterans for Idaho Voters. ^{13 14} He previously served in the Army, and now advocates for the elimination of fossil-fuel use and for the United States’ continued funding of Ukrainian forces in the Russia-Ukraine conflict in addition to his electoral-systems activism. ¹⁵

Jim Jones is a co-founder of VFIV. He served in the Army and then became a lawyer, spending time as an advisor to former U.S. Senator Leonard “Len” Jordan (R-ID). He went on to become Idaho attorney general and a justice on the state Supreme Court. Jones was once a Republican, but now calls himself an independent and often attacks right-of-center politicians whom he and his organization deem insufficiently centrist. ^{16 17}

Barry Johnson is a co-founder of VFIV. He is a former Army public relations officer and Pentagon communications strategist. A self-described “lifelong leader,” Johnson is also involved in environmentalist activism in addition to his advocacy for open primary elections in Idaho. ¹⁸

1. Veterans for Idaho Voters. Twitter. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://twitter.com/Vets4IDVoters
2. Idaho Liberty Dogs. Facebook. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/IdahoLibertyDogs/
3. Jim Jones. “One of the nation’s reddest states could become a ranked choice battleground.” The Hill. August 21, 2023. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4161059-one-of-the-nations-reddest-states-could-become-a-ranked-choice-battleground/
4. Devin Bodkin. “80-year-old war veteran takes on the Idaho Freedom Foundation.” East Idaho News. March 29, 2022. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://www.eastidahonews.com/2022/03/80-year-old-war-veteran-takes-on-the-idaho-freedom-foundation/
5. Todd Achilles. Twitter. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://twitter.com/toddachilles
6. Barry Johnson. LinkedIn. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/barryjohnson
7. Idahoans for Open Primaries. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://openprimariesid.org/
8. Veterans for Idaho Voters. Twitter. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://twitter.com/Vets4IDVoters
9. “Veterans For Political Innovation.” ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/861852155
10. Julie Luchetta. “AG rewrites initiative titles following Supreme Court order.” Boise State Public Radio. August 11, 2023. Accessed August 24, 2023. boisestatepublicradio.org/politics-government/2023-08-11/reclaim-idaho-supreme-court-ballot-attorney-general-labrador-ranked-choice-voting
11. Ryan Suppe. “Idaho election initiative backers slam AG analysis.” Idaho Statesman. June 6, 2023. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article276148761.html
12. Julie Luchetta. “AG rewrites initiative titles following Supreme Court order.” Boise State Public Radio. August 11, 2023. Accessed August 24, 2023. boisestatepublicradio.org/politics-government/2023-08-11/reclaim-idaho-supreme-court-ballot-attorney-general-labrador-ranked-choice-voting
13. Steve Kirch. “New coalition starts initiative to open Idaho’s primaries.” KMVT 11. May 4, 2023. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://www.kmvt.com/2023/05/04/new-coalition-starts-initiative-open-idahos-primaries/
14. Veterans for Idaho Voters. Twitter. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://twitter.com/Vets4IDVoters
15. Todd Achilles. Twitter. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://twitter.com/toddachilles
16. Jim Jones. “One of the nation’s reddest states could become a ranked choice battleground.” The Hill. August 21, 2023. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4161059-one-of-the-nations-reddest-states-could-become-a-ranked-choice-battleground/
17. Devin Bodkin. “80-year-old war veteran takes on the Idaho Freedom Foundation.” East Idaho News. March 29, 2022. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://www.eastidahonews.com/2022/03/80-year-old-war-veteran-takes-on-the-idaho-freedom-foundation/
18. Barry Johnson. LinkedIn. Accessed August 24, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/barryjohnson