Early voting is done in Ada County. Here’s how many residents showed up to cast their ballot
Thousands of Ada County residents cast their ballots early or by mail in the 2021 municipal elections, with noticeable upticks in early voting turnout compared with previous elections.
As of Monday, 5,872 registered voters in Ada County participated in in-person early voting, an 80% increase over the 2017 total of 3,261. More than 9,000 residents also requested absentee ballots, tripling the 2,500 ballots mailed to voters in 2017.
2017 was the last time Boise did not have a mayoral election, which typically leads to larger turnouts, Ada County Chief Deputy Clerk Trent Tripple said by phone. About 9,700 residents voted early in 2019, while about 5,800 requested absentee ballots.
Voters in Ada County will vote on city council seats in Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Garden City, Star and Kuna. Mayoral elections will take place in Garden City. The West Ada and Kuna school boards each have two seats up for election this year. Some voters in Boise will also get to vote on a $570 million bond to finance repairs to the city’s sewage infrastructure.
County data show more than 4,000 absentee ballots have been returned so far — a return rate of 44% — which Tripple said is average compared with previous elections. The number is expected to increase as absentee ballots continue to trickle in. Ballots must be at election headquarters by 8 p.m. to be counted.
In Ada County, 6,663 Republicans have either requested an absentee ballot or voted early. The total for Democrats was 1,489 and for unaffiliated voters 4,037. Boise’s East End and Highlands neighborhoods and parts of Eagle and Garden City saw some of the highest numbers of ballots requested.
“I think most of that has been because people feel more comfortable voting early and requesting absentees than they have in the past,” Tripple said.
Part of that may be because of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 140,000 residents requested absentee ballots ahead of the November 2020 elections, according to the county. It was a record-shattering figure that mirrored a nationwide trend of voters seeking safer ways to cast their ballots.
Ada County has more than 294,000 registered voters.
Turnout isn’t expected to be as high this year, given the lack of high profile races. Tripple said the large number of absentee ballots is likely a carryover from last year.
And while early voting has largely gone off without a hitch, the county has seen difficulty in one area: hiring enough poll workers for this year’s elections.
So far, Ada County has hired about 900 poll workers, compared with around 1,000 in other years. It’s a feat that Tripple said “has not been easy,” because of COVID-19.
“We’re managing people calling in sick on a daily basis and having to go into quarantine … or someone having to deal with a sick family member,” he said. “We just don’t have that many people on the sidelines waiting to jump in, because of some of the impacts of the pandemic right now.”
He said the county should have enough poll workers on Election Day, but the staff will be stretched.
The county is now requiring all poll workers to wear masks inside the precincts. Tripple said the county would like voters to do the same, although it is not mandatory.
This story was originally published November 1, 2021 at 3:18 PM.
.jpg)