{
  "id": 17876835,
  "title": "Idaho to choose a state gun in midterm polls",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/idaho-to-choose-a-state-gun-in-midterm-polls-17876835",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-02T23:10:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/11/03/idaho-to-choose-a-state-gun-in-midterm-polls"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Idaho, a largely rural state where gun ownership is not regulated, will vote on Tuesday in a non-binding US midterm election to select their preferred firearm as the state's emblematic gun.\n\nA Republican lawmaker, Jason Monks, introduced the idea in March, claiming that while states already have state symbols like flowers and vegetables, they lack a state firearm. The proposed ballot will feature six guns, including four rifles and two firearms.\n\nThese options include the .45 Colt, which is already Idaho's state firearm, and the Colt M1911, which belongs to Utah. Monks noted that while various states have state guns, Idaho should follow suit.\n\nAccording to the National Rifle Association, ten states currently have a state gun, with seven of them being rifles and three handguns. The Pew Research poll from 2024 indicates that around a third of the US population owns at least one firearm. Though the precise count of firearms in the US remains unclear, federal law prohibits the establishment of a national registry. However, estimates suggest there are significantly more guns than people in the country.",
  "summary": "In a non-binding ballot measure, residents of the northwestern US state are being asked to choose their favourite firearm to serve as a state symbol.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}