Opinion ID: 2585581
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: This Court has original jurisdiction, pursuant to Article 5, § 9 of the Idaho Constitution, to issue writs of mandamus, certiorari, prohibition, and habeas corpus, and all writs necessary or proper to the complete exercise of its appellate authority. IDAHO CONST., art. V, § 9. This Court will exercise jurisdiction to review a petition for extraordinary relief where the petition alleges sufficient facts concerning a possible constitutional violation of an urgent nature. Idaho Watersheds Project v. State Board of Land Commissioners, 133 Idaho 55, 57, 982 P.2d 358, 360 (1999). In this case, the Petitioners have alleged I.C. § 34-907B violates both the right to free speech and the right to vote as guaranteed by the Idaho Constitution and the United States Constitution. Additionally, at the time, the Petitioners alleged the violation was of an urgent nature because the Secretary of State had to certify the primary election ballot by April 10, 2000. The implementation of the statute has only been delayed by our order requiring the Secretary of State to wait until we issued this decision. This Court, therefore, has jurisdiction to hear this petition, and our review is limited to a simple declaration of [the statute's] constitutionality or lack thereof. Mead v. Arnell, 117 Idaho 660, 664, 791 P.2d 410, 414 (1990).