Procrastinator’s runoff guide: Do I go to my normal polling place? When can I vote?
There’s a mayoral runoff race, Boise, and Election Day is Tuesday. If you haven’t kept up to date on the runoff, this story is for you.
This time, the race is between City Council President Lauren McLean and incumbent Mayor David Bieter.
Here’s what you need to know before you vote.
Why is Boise having another election?
The short answer is “city code says so.”
The top two vote-getters in the seven-candidate mayoral election on Nov. 5 were McLean, who garnered 45.7% of the vote, and Bieter, who garnered 30.3%. Boise City Code, however, dictates that the mayor must win a majority — 50% plus one. State code mandates that a runoff be held within 30 days of the first election, hence the Dec. 3 date.
In this election, the only thing on the ballot is the mayoral contest. There’s not even a write-in option this time around. You can check out your ballot early by visiting Ada County’s election website.
Can I vote if I didn’t vote in the November election?
Yes. The runoff is an open election for all voting-aging Boise residents.
Do I have to go somewhere special to vote?
No. Every one of the usual 88 polling places within Boise’s city boundaries will be open. They’ll be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., just as on any other election day. You can check your polling location by searching your address on Ada County’s polling place locator online.
If you have a disability that makes it hard to stand in line or access your polling place, you can ask a poll work to vote curbside. A poll worker will bring you your ballot outside the polling place or to your car. There are also special terminals at each polling place for people who have a hard time seeing or marking ballots.
It is important to know that there are some Boise addresses that won’t be able to vote in this election. Only people who live within incorporated Boise can vote. If you’re not certain whether you live within city limits, check your address on Ada County’s site before you go.
Do I have to register again?
If you registered in November or before, your name will appear in your voting precinct’s poll books as normal. Simply bring your photo ID to your polling place, and you’ll be good to go. Valid forms of photo ID include state-issued IDs, tribal cards, U.S. passports and current student IDs. If you forget those, you’ll still be able to vote, but you’ll have to sign a personal identification affidavit.
If you’re not a registered voter, or if you’ve moved since last registering, you can register right at your polling place. Bring:
- A photo identification (state issued ID, tribal card, U.S. passport or current student ID)
- A state ID number or the last four digits of your social security number
- Proof of residency (vehicle registration, current utility bill, bank statement, etc.)
Not sure? Check online with the Idaho Secretary of State’s office.
How do I learn more about the candidates?
Check out the Statesman’s reporting on the election.
The Statesman’s online-only story , “Election Day is here. You want to learn before you vote. Here’s a quick guide to help,” rounds up most of the election stories we wrote and videos we took before the November election. That includes our profiles of Bieter and McLean, our searchable campaign finance database (which we’ve kept updated during the runoff campaign) and our pre-election look at what a runoff would be like.
You can check out the Election Day results, both for the mayoral race and for the propositions that were on the November ballot. We wrote about how this runoff election is not Boise’s first — there have been at least four others.
Here are links to some of our coverage since the runoff campaign began:
▪ In their first runoff debate, candidates threw a lot of accusations, so we fact-checked them.
▪ The candidates spoke to homeless people at a private forum at Interfaith Sanctuary.
▪ Mayor Bieter began an official city podcast during the runoff campaign. He talked about homelessness, which Bieter’s campaign has called “the central issue of this campaign.”
▪ Here’s our story on Council Member TJ Thomson’s late-night tweets about McLean.
▪ We’ve written stories on accusations from both campaigns — McLean alleged that someone was setting up tents by her signs, while Bieter said that McLean volunteers had said he was backed by and part of the ‘Basque mafia.’
▪ Most recently, we’ve written about mailers sent out from a political action committee funded by developers and about what the newest campaign finance reports show.
▪ You can read Bieter’s and McLean’s takes on the biggest issues of the election in their own words. Below is the voter guide we originally published in October, minus the five candidates who didn’t make it to the runoff.
This story was originally published December 2, 2019 at 10:49 AM.
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