I am a lifelong Republican, my grandchildren are fifth-generation Idahoans, I’ve been married to one wife for 33 years and I’ve resided in Precinct 18 located in Kootenai County for over 31 years. In general terms, I don’t like change, except in the case when change is an improvement.

Idaho is a great place to raise a family due to its scenic beauty and conservative politics. However, this year Republican politics have drastically changed due to the implementation of the Idaho Republican Presidential Caucus and the elimination of the Idaho Presidential Primary. This change is definitely not an improvement.

On May 15, the Idaho Republican Primary will be held and for the first time in Idaho’s history and voters will not cast a vote for a Republican Presidential Candidate. If you did not attend and vote at the Idaho Republican Caucus held on March 6, 2012, you lost your right to vote for a presidential candidate. This change is definitely not an improvement.

The change to a caucus created numerous situations in which many Kootenai County voters were barred from casting their vote. The caucus did not allow absentee voting which historically as a percentage is about 30 percent of the total votes cast in the May primary.

Who was barred from voting? They consist of snowbirds who live here during the warm weather and go south during the cold weather. Any military personnel not stationed close enough to attend the caucus. Housebound folks who were unable to travel to the caucus location. Lastly, a very large group of voters who were working or had to take care of their children or other family members. This change is definitely not an improvement.

Consider the numbers and come to your own conclusions. In the last primary, the total number of votes cast in the 2008 Kootenai County Republican Presidential Primary was 10,383 and in the first round of the 2012 Kootenai County Republican Presidential Caucus was merely 3,775. However, when the caucus went to the fourth and final round at approximately 11 p.m., 1,170 votes were cast. The caucus started at 6 p.m. with 69 percent of the attendees leaving before the final vote. Therefore, your vote only counted if you had the available time and stamina to cast your vote at 11 p.m. This change is definitely not an improvement.

Finally, we Kootenai County Presidential Caucus attendees wasted our time at our caucus. Our vote did not matter. Ada County held its caucus at one location at the Taco Bell Area on the campus of Boise State University one hour earlier than our caucus. It was the largest Republican caucus in the United States. The final result of just the Ada County caucus determined who would be Idaho’s Republican Presidential nominee. That result was announced by the media at approximately 8:30 Pacific Standard Time while our caucus had not even concluded our first round of voting. This change is definitely not an improvement.

If the Idaho Presidential Caucus was an improvement to our political process, I would support it 100 percent. The one and only improvement caused by the Idaho Republican Presidential caucus was the Great State of Idaho was visited by Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. I would gladly trade the opportunity to see and hear in person Republican Presidential Candidates simply to have my vote count.

Eliminating the Idaho Republican Presidential Caucus and changing back to an Idaho Presidential Primary is definitely an improvement. I make a pledge that I will do everything in my political power to eliminate the caucus and implement the Idaho Republican Presidential Primary.

Matt Roetter of Precinct 18 is a Kootenai County Republican Central Committee State Committeeman.