Here’s how to register and vote in Idaho’s ’23 elections. What to bring, where to go

Election Day is around the corner, and voters across Idaho are preparing to cast their ballots for for mayor, city council and school board races.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7. Here is what you can do to get ready to vote and even vote early.

Voters are eligible to vote if they are 18 years old, U.S. citizens and have lived in their counties of residence for at least 30 days before Election Day. People with felony convictions cannot register to vote until they’ve completed the terms of their sentence.

How do I register to vote?

It’s too late to preregister online, but you still can register in person at your polling place on Election Day. If you want to vote early, you can register at your early voting location. Early voting is under way through Friday, Nov. 3. (See “What about voting by mail? And early voting?” below).



To register in person, you’ll need:

1. A photo identification (state issued ID, tribal card, U.S. passport or current student ID).

2. A state ID number or the last four digits of your social security number.

3. Proof of residency (utility bill, lease, bank statement, etc.).

Registration is required when you move to a new state or change addresses. You can check the Idaho secretary of state’s website to see if you’re registered at your current address. Visit elections.sos.idaho.gov/ElectionLink/ElectionLink/VoterSearch.aspx.

If you’re already registered to vote, you can head to your polling place with just an ID such as a driver’s license, state ID card, tribal card, U.S. passport, or until Jan. 1, a student ID card.

Am I registered?

To find out if you’re already registered to vote, go to voteidaho.gov.

Who/what is on my ballot?

Ada County

A jail bond is on the ballot throughout Ada County.

West Ada School District: Three trustee seats.

Boise: Mayor, four City Council races by district.

Meridian: Mayor, three City Council races by district.

Eagle: Mayor, two City Council seats.

Kuna: Mayor, one City Council seat, three school trustee seats, rural fire district commissioner.

Garden City: Two City Council seats.

Star: Mayor, two fire district commissioners.

Ada County voters can see who’s on their ballot at adacounty.id.gov/elections/view-my-ballot. Type in your address in the prompt and a sample ballot will appear.

Canyon County

Vallivue School District: One trustee seat.

Nampa: Three City Council seats, two school trustee seats.

Caldwell: Three City Council seats, three school trustee seats.

Middleton: Mayor, two City Council seats, school district levy.

Canyon County voters can see who’s on their ballot at canyonco.org/elected-officials/clerk/elections. Click “Sample ballot.”

How can I learn more about these races?

See candidate photos, biographical information, and answers to questions for city and school-board races in the Idaho Statesman’s Voter Guide: www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/election/voter-guide

Keep up with Statesman news coverage of local races and watch videos on the Statesman’s Election page: www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/election/

What about voting by mail? And early voting?

The deadline to request a vote-by-mail, or absentee, ballot was Friday, Oct. 27. Mailed ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, so they should be sent as soon as possible.

You can also deliver your absentee ballot to one of six drop-off boxes in Ada County through 8 p.m. Election Day. The boxes are located at Boise City Hall, Meridian City Hall, Star City Hall, Eagle City Hall, Kuna City Hall and the Ada County Elections Office at the County Courthouse at in downtown Boise.

Canyon County voters can return their ballots to the county elections office on 1102 E Chicago St. in Caldwell.

Another way to vote is to vote early. Early voting across Idaho began Monday, Oct. 23, and ends Friday, Nov. 3.

These sites are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for early voting:

ADA COUNTY

Eagle Public Library, 100 N. Stierman Way

Meridian City Hall, 33 E. Broadway Ave.

Ada County Elections, 400 N. Benjamin Lane, Boise

Boise City Hall, 150 N. Capitol Blvd.

ADA COUNTY MOBILE VOTING UNIT

Ada County has a mobile voting unit. Here’s where it will be during the final week of early voting:

Monday, Oct. 30: Garden City Library, 6015 N. Glenwood St.

Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 31-Nov. 1: Star Library, 10706 W. State St.

Thursday and Friday, Nov. 2-3: Kuna Library, 457 Locust Ave.

CANYON COUNTY

Canyon County Elections Office, 1102 E. Chicago St., Caldwell

Hispanic Cultural Center, 315 Stampede Drive, Nampa

The county offers curbside voting at both sites.

Where do I vote on Election Day?

Your voter registration card, mailed to you, will say where your polling place is located.

You can also find it on the Idaho secretary of state’s website at elections.sos.idaho.gov/ElectionLink/ElectionLink/ViewPollingLocation.aspx.

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. If you do that, 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 those who have a hard time seeing or marking ballots.

Business and Local News Editor David Staats contributed.

This story was originally published October 25, 2023 at 12:44 PM.

Rachel Spacek

Idaho Statesman

Rachel Spacek is a former reporter covering Meridian, Eagle, Star and Canyon city and county governments for the Idaho Statesman.