2 Boise city councilors were just re-elected. With no election. This is what happened
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Elections 2023 in Ada & Canyon counties
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Two Boise City Council members were reseated this month without the say of voters, in accordance with state law.
As a result, some voters in West Boise and the North End will not see any City Council names to vote for on their ballots this November.
Why?
Here’s a breakdown.
What’s new about council districts?
Boise City Council elections this year will be different from most past cycles. Because of a 2020 state law, every council member will be elected by geographic district instead of in at-large seats. There are six districts, which a citizens commission drew the borders of last year.
State law also requires that, if only one candidate registers to run for election in a particular district, there will be no election. Instead, the single candidate will be declared the winner.
Mayor Lauren McLean’s spokesperson, Maria Weeg, said staffers she asked could not remember any previous council elections that were canceled.
What happened in Northwest Boise?
This year, Council President Jimmy Hallyburton was the only candidate who registered to run for election with the Boise City Clerk. The new district covers the western portion of the North End and Northwest Boise.
Hallyburton told the Idaho Statesman that while the cancellation of the election will make for an easier few months for him, he’s not a fan of it.
“As a voter, I would be frustrated if I showed up to vote and couldn’t see who my representative was,” Hallyburton said. “People’s voting rights were changed without them having the ability to weigh in on it.
“If there’s nothing on your ballot over and over and over again, they’re eventually going to stop showing up.”
What happened in West Boise?
The same thing happened in District 1.
Luci Willits, an incumbent, was the only candidate who registered. District 1 covers the westernmost portion of the city, bordering Meridian.
“I think it’s going to cause some confusion,” Willits said at a Tuesday council meeting, “because folks are expecting to go and vote for City Council and it’s not going to be there.”
She told the Statesman in a text that she still encourages people to vote regardless, as there are other matters on the ballot.
The same situation happened in Meridian earlier this month, when incumbent Council Member John Overton was declared the winner in District 4 because no other candidates registered to run.
If I live in District 1 or 6, will I be able to vote in other races?
Yes. While you won’t see names on your ballot for council, you can still vote in other races, including the Boise mayor’s race and a ballot measure on whether to fund a jail expansion with municipal bonds.
What happens if you live in another district?
For residents of the other four City Council districts, the elections will proceed as they usually do. Each of those districts has more than one candidate.
This story was originally published September 29, 2023 at 12:21 PM.
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