Procrastinator’s guide: What are Tuesday’s elections about? Help is here
Tuesday is Election Day in the Treasure Valley. Are you ready?
Sure, there are no big state contests in this off-year election, but there are a number of races and issues on the ballot that hit even closer to home. And now, it’s crunch time.
If you’re still wondering what this election is about or what you need to do to vote, we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know to prepare for Tuesday, including what’s on your ballot, how to register and how to find out whether your candidates pulled through:
There’s an election? What’s on my ballot?
In case the yard signs or campaign mailers didn’t tip you off: Election Day is almost here for Boise-area contests — though depending on where you live, you’ll have different decisions to make. Chief among them are about who will run city governments across the Valley and, in some cases, what kinds of taxes they’ll collect.
The main races are for City Council seats in cities across Ada and Canyon counties, plus mayoral contests in Garden City and Caldwell.
In many places, there are candidates for school and special districts on the ballot, including West Ada, the state’s largest school district.
And some voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on tax increase measures, including Boise’s ask for an $11 million open-space levy and Meridian’s for a $5 million public safety levy. In Canyon County, the Nampa and Middleton school districts are also seeking levies, to the tune of $16.8 million and $2.5 million, respectively.
So want to know what choices are up to you? For starters, you can check out the list of every candidate and measure on the ballot in Ada and eastern Canyon Counties in our stories: “Ada County voters: Here’s who’s running in November 2025 elections in your city” and “Canyon County voters: See who’s running in November 2025 elections in your city.”
You can also view what’s on your own ballot at voteidaho.gov/on-the-ballots/ by clicking on the bright red “View Your Sample Ballot” button. There, you’ll be prompted to type in your name and address to view your ballot, as well as your polling place and other voter information.
Don’t want to get that specific? The county election offices also have ballot-viewing tools on their websites. In Ada County, go to adacounty.id.gov/elections/view-my-ballot/, click on “View my Sample Ballot,” and you’ll be taken to a map where you can type in your (or any) address, or click on a polling location, to see sample ballots. In Canyon County, you can check out a sample ballot that includes all races and measures in the county.
OK, but am I even registered to vote? If not, how hard is it?
If you’re not sure whether you’re registered to vote, you can easily check your status at voteidaho.gov/. Hover over the Voting tab at the top and click on “Registering to Vote.” Scroll down and click on the “Check Your Registration” button, and type in your name and date of birth.
You will need to update your registration if you recently moved, changed your name or have not voted in the past four years. If you’re not registered or need to update your information, you can register at your polling place on Election Day.
You can register if:
- You’re 18 years of age or older.
- A U.S. citizen.
- A resident of Idaho for at least 30 days before Election Day.
Make sure you bring:
- A photo identification (state-issued ID card or driver’s license, U.S. passport or federal photo ID card, tribal card, or concealed weapons license issued by a county sheriff in Idaho)
- A state ID number or the last four digits of your Social Security number
- Proof of residency, which could be in the form of: a photo ID with your correct address, proof of insurance, a rental agreement, a utility bill or bank statement, a property tax assessment or bill, a paycheck or stub, a document demonstrating intake to a care facility, an enrollment letter from an Idaho high school or university, or a letter from a social service agency.
In Idaho, people with felony convictions may not register until after completing the terms of their sentence.
If you’re already registered to vote, all you need to show up with on Election Day is an ID card.
So where do I vote? And when should I go?
If you’re registered, you may have received a voter information card in the mail recently with your precinct and polling place.
To find your polling place online, voteidaho.gov/ is again your go-to. While hovering over the Voting tab at the top, click on “Where to Vote.” Scroll down and click on “Find Your Polling Location,” then type in your address. In Ada County, you can check out this map and find your polling place by typing in an address at the top.
Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Lines are typically longest in the afternoon after 5 p.m., after many people get off of work, the Idaho Statesman has previously reported. You can still vote after polls close as long as you’re in line by 8 p.m.
If you’re voting with an absentee ballot, drop it off at an election drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Drop boxes in Ada County are located at the Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Star and Kuna city halls and at the Ada County Elections Office at 400 N. Benjamin Lane in Boise. If you live in Canyon County and are voting absentee, you must return your ballot to the county elections office at 1102 E. Chicago St. in Caldwell.
I want more information. How do I get up to speed?
IdahoStatesman.com/Election is your one-stop shop for all things local elections. There, you can find the above-mentioned stories listing who’s running in Ada and eastern Canyon counties, but also in-depth stories on key races and watchdog reporting on everything from campaign contributions to corruption allegations.
To hear from the candidates in their own words, check out the Statesman’s Voter Guides for contested races. Those include candidates’ photos, bios and unedited answers to questions ranging from why they’re running to their stances on specific issues voters say are important to each race.
Want help wading through the content? Check out the story “See our ‘In the Spotlight’ reports on the November 2025 election” for links directly to Statesman reporting and Voter Guides that matter to you.
The Statesman’s editorial page also includes the editorial board’s recommendations, as well as videos of interviews with candidates running for Boise City Council and Caldwell mayor, among others.
How do I know my vote counted? And what about the results?
Statesman reporters will bring you live results on election night, starting when the polls close at 8 p.m. We’ll be updating results throughout the night as new numbers come in and will report them at IdahoStatesman.com and on our Statesman app.
Depending on the race, you may know your new city leaders or how a tax measure fared as soon as Tuesday night.
And if you want to make sure your vote counted, Ada County has a new ballot verifier tool that allows voters to view cast ballots sorted by precinct, contest or candidate — without any identifying information. The elections office warns that it could take four to six weeks for ballots to be available on the verifier tool.
If that sounds long, fear not. The office also provides real-time election feedback — and an almost eerie level of transparency — in the form of 59 cameras live-streaming operations 24/7. If that’s your cup of tea, you can watch them online or at the office’s new public viewing room. We just can’t guarantee you’ll stay awake.
This story was originally published November 3, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
