India, Nov. 4 -- Beyond the candidates, the state of Idaho is making a quiet choice in the US midterms tied directly to the state's pride.

Voters in the state are choosing a gun as Idaho's state gun, to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. In the contest are six vintage guns: two Winchesters, two Colts, the M1 Garand rifle and a 1962 Remington model.

It is an advisory vote, and the results are not binding on the state. The choice of a state gun- which would make Idaho the 11th US state to do so, when formalized - came on the ballot after Idaho's House Majority Leader, Republican Jason Monks, proposed it in March this year.

"We've got a lot of state items, state birds, and... I think we... were talking about a state pie ...