Idaho crosses big threshold in voter registrations as mail balloting smashes records
For the first time in history, more than a million people are registered to vote in Idaho.
And in the state’s two largest counties, it appears that more voters are going to vote absentee than ever before in a presidential election.
Chad Houck, chief deputy secretary of state, told the Statesman on Wednesday that 1,004,449 voters were registered in the state, the most ever. The deadline to register was Friday, Oct. 9, though voters can register at early voting locations or the polls on Election Day.
Of those voters, 407,616, a little more than 40%, had requested absentee (or mailed) ballots. And of those, just over 128,000, or 31%, had already been returned. That number will likely grow still: Requests for absentee ballots can still be made through Friday, Oct. 23.
In Canyon and Ada counties, county clerks are sending out more absentee ballots than ever before.
Joe Decker, Canyon County spokesperson, said the county has already sent out 42,100 absentee ballots and received about 13,000 back. With Election Day still almost three weeks away, that number is approaching the 2016 presidential election total, when Canyon County saw 16,346 total absentee ballots cast.
“We are prepared to send out 55,000 (absentee ballots), but we’re unsure what the final number will be, since folks have until Oct. 23 to request them,” Decker said in an email.
Ada County voters have requested 144,635 ballots as of Wednesday, said Chelsea Carattini, spokesperson for the Ada County Elections Office, with 39,544 returned. That surpasses the total requested for the 2016 presidential election, when 26,968 absentee ballots were issued and 22,856 were returned.
Carattini said Ada County expects to see close to 150,000 absentee ballot requests.
That’s higher than the May primary, which was entirely by absentee ballot because of concerns about coronavirus. Ada County issued just over 123,000 ballots for that election.
Where can I take my absentee ballot?
The Postal Service recommends mailing your ballot at least seven days before Election Day to be sure it arrives in time to be counted.
If you don’t meet that deadline or don’t want to put it in the mail, you can still put it in the drop box outside your county elections office by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Every county will have at least one drop box to put the ballot in. Those ballots are often at the county clerk’s office. In Ada County, you can drop your ballot in boxes in the following places:
- Ada County elections office, 400 N. Benjamin Lane in Boise (next to the driver’s license office)
- Meridian City Hall, 33 E. Broadway Ave. in Meridian
- Boise City Hall, 150 N. Capitol Blvd. in Boise
- Eagle City Hall, 660 E. Civic Lane in Eagle
- Kuna City Hall, 751 W. 4th St. in Kuna
In Canyon County, take your ballot to the Canyon County Elections Office at 1102 E. Chicago St. in Caldwell. There is a mail slot to the right of the front door that voters can access 24 hours a day. Or you can hand the ballot to a staff member during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
In Idaho, requesting an absentee ballot does not lock you into voting with that ballot. Carattini said her office had seen quite a few voters request absentee ballots and then change their minds.
“They can do this,” she wrote in an email. “Just show up at early voting or on Election Day and we will void their absentee ballot and issue them a ballot to vote on in person.”
How do I vote early in Idaho?
Thousands of early voters have already taken to the polls, Houck said, even though many counties won’t open early voting until next Monday, Oct. 19. Ada County, which opened early voting on Tuesday, reports more than 5,100 already.
In Ada County, there are four early voting locations. Each is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays from Oct. 13 to Oct. 30, Monday. They’re also open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, although they’re closed on Sunday.
To vote early, visit:
- The Ada County Elections office, 400 N. Benjamin Lane in Boise
- Meridian City Hall, 33 E. Broadway Ave. in Meridian
- Boise Basque Center, 601 W. Grove St. in Boise
- Eagle Hope Lutheran Church, 331 N. Linder Rd. in Eagle
You can also visit Ada County’s Mobile Voting Center, which travels around the county to high-traffic areas. If you visit the Mobile Voting Center, the staff will print a ballot on demand. The center is available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the following places:
- Thursday, Oct. 15: State of Idaho Campus, 11321 W. Chinden Blvd in Boise
- Friday, Oct. 16: Star Library, 10706 W. State St. in Star
- Monday, Oct. 19: Garden City Library, 6015 N. Glenwood St. in Garden City
- Tuesday, Oct. 20: Eagle City Hall, 660 E. Civic Lane in Eagle
- Wednesday, Oct. 21: Saint Alphonsus, 1055 N. Curtis Road in Boise
- Thursday, Oct. 22: Blue Cross of Idaho, 3000 E. Pine Ave. in Meridian
- Friday, Oct. 23: Kuna City Hall, 751 W. 4th St. in Kuna
- Monday, Oct 26: Albertsons, 700 E. Avalon St. in Kuna
- Tuesday, Oct. 27: Saint Alphonsus at Bowns Crossing, 2141 E. Parkcenter Blvd. in Boise
- Wednesday, Oct. 28: Garden City Library, 6015 N. Glenwood St. in Garden City
- Thursday, Oct. 29: St. Luke’s Hospital, 220 W. Idaho St. in Boise
- Friday, Oct. 30: Lake Hazel Library, 10489 W. Lake Hazel Road in Boise
There are five early voting spots in Canyon County. In Canyon, early voting began Oct. 13 at O’Connor Field House and Oct. 19 at other locations. It runs weekdays through Friday, Oct. 30. Locations are open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- O’Connor Field House, 2207 Blaine St. in Caldwell
- Notus High School (old gym), 25260 Notus Road in Notus
- Oregon Trail Church of God, 23057 Old Hwy. 30 in Caldwell
- Celebration Church, 2121 Caldwell Blvd. in Nampa
- Melba Valley Senior Center, 115 Base Line Road in Melba
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