Who does North Idaho Voter Services really serve?

The Bonner County Daily Bee printed an article on Feb. 2, 2022, about North Idaho Voter Services, under the pretense that NIVS is providing a necessary service and that the candidate reporting on their new “service” is neutral.

The article makes clear that NIVS intends to position itself as a local “voter service” (a pretense at neutrality) but the problem NIVS purports to solve is “extreme” trends, also labeled “far-right,” “ultra-conservative,” and “fringe.” If NIVS were neutral in presenting candidates, their ideas, and their suitability for county voters, then there would be no need to cast tired labels in any direction. Instead, there would be a desire to share the truth about issues and candidates.

Here are some facts concerning NIVS:

NIVS sent out a recent email on March 10, 2022, encouraging all non-Republicans to change their affiliation to Republican to vote in the upcoming primary. Here is an excerpt from their recent email:

• NIVS does not list all qualified candidates on their website.

• NIVS endorses specific candidates without stating any basis for the selection of those recommendations on their website or in their literature.

Let’s not pretend NIVS is a non-partisan entity anymore.

If voters seek greater transparency for the upcoming May 17 primaries, Idaho True Conservatives endorses candidates based on a publicly stated set of values, which are clearly stated on the bonnervotes.org website. Rather than merely tossing around meaningless labels supplied by national progressive political interests, Bonner County resident ITC volunteers vet its endorsed candidates based on these publicly stated values, allowing the Bonner County voters to make truly informed decisions.

CLARK GADSON

Missoula