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Alex Backus

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As voters across the nation sort through candidates and measures this Election Day, Idaho ballots feature a more unusual list of options: six different guns.

Idaho voters are being asked to pick one to represent their state. If lawmakers approve the designation, Idaho would become the 12th state with an official firearm.

Idaho House Majority Leader Jason Monks, who sponsored the measure, said he hoped the gun vote would help get more people to the polls.

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"There's not much more patriotic in Idaho than guns — and the importance of guns in helping to found our country and settle the West," the Republican representative told the Associated Press.

Which U.S. States Have Official Guns?

Eleven other states have official firearms, all of which have been designated in the last 15 years.

Utah and Arizona were the first to adopt official firearms in 2011. Utah chose the Browning M1911 pistol, designed by Utah native John Browning, while Arizona selected the Colt Single Action Army revolver, commonly known as the "Peacemaker."

Other states have chosen firearms with ties to their own history and heritage, including the Kentucky Long Rifle, the Pennsylvania Long Rifle and Missouri's Hawken Rifle.

The states with official firearms are:

Inside Idaho’s State Gun Vote

The bill, House Bill 932, ties the measure to the nation's 250th anniversary, saying it is appropriate to commemorate “the role played by firearms in America's and Idaho's histories.”

The bill also cites firearms' role in Idaho history, including during the Lewis and Clark expedition, the state's 1860s gold rushes and the settlement of the American West.

Voters have six options to choose from, ranging from historic revolvers to popular hunting rifles.

The choices are:

  1. Winchester Model 1894 (.30-30)
  2. Winchester Model 1873 "Gun that Won the West" (.44-40)
  3. 1873 Colt Single Action Army Revolver "Peacemaker" (.45 Colt)
  4. M1 Garand rifle (.30-06)
  5. Colt M1911 .45 automatic Colt pistol (.45 ACP)
  6. Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle (.30-06)

As of Tuesday morning, Polymarket projections showed the Winchester Model 1873 leading the race to become Idaho's official state firearm.

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The vote is nonbinding, meaning the results will not automatically designate a firearm as Idaho's official state gun. If voters select a clear favorite, Monks said lawmakers could consider legislation to formally designate it during the 2027 legislative session.

Newsweek reached out to Monks for comment.

Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech and Gray R. Thomas

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