Idaho had a tremendously successful election. You shouldn’t listen to the critics | Opinion
As your secretary of state, I am proud of the historic election we just held. Last Tuesday, we set a record with over 915,000 Idahoans voting. It’s a great accomplishment for the county clerks, election officials, and thousands of poll workers across the state and should be celebrated.
That’s why it’s unfortunate that mid-Election Day, the Statesman Editorial Board discouraged Idahoans with their opinion, “New Idaho election law claims its first victims: legitimate Idaho voters,” criticizing the requirement to provide an Idaho or federal ID to register to vote. Notably, it’s also the first time Idaho has provided a free ID for voting.
Being an election official is challenging, and this election was no exception. In a world of clickable headlines and polarizing statements, isolated incidents are often exaggerated in media and social platforms. Criticism comes from all sides: unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud and accusations of pervasive disenfranchisement. However, the incredible work of our election officials and the record-setting participation make clear that neither narrative holds true.
We welcome scrutiny and thoughtful policy debates when placed in context. In an election of this size, challenges are unavoidable. Yet, the editorial board focused on incidents affecting a small number of last-minute registrants, implying our elections are broken and sowing distrust in officials like me. I assure you unequivocally that there was no widespread fraud or disenfranchisement in Idaho’s elections. Unlike the editorial board, I have numbers to back this up.
Over 100,000 Idahoans successfully showed a state or federal ID and proof of residence to register and vote on the same day, with tens of thousands more registering before the registration deadline. While I support adding additional forms of ID and acknowledge some voters faced challenges due to new requirements, I see this as one of our election’s many successes. In most other states, these 100,000 individuals wouldn’t have been able to vote at all because they missed the registration deadline, and most states don’t permit same-day registration.
It’s easy to focus on the negative and attack public officials working tirelessly to engage our community in this significant event. Some may view a two-hour wait as an easily avoidable barrier to voting (and we did receive such complaints). I see it as a testament to the enthusiasm and commitment of Idaho voters. Over 215,000 people took advantage of in-person early voting; notably, for the first time, more voters opted for early voting than absentee ballots. Despite expanded early voting options in Ada County and elsewhere, the increased demand overwhelmed locations in the final week.
Of all the criticisms from the Editorial Board, I was genuinely shocked they suggested we did nothing to educate voters. We received overwhelmingly positive feedback for our outreach efforts. We mailed 800,000 voter pamphlets to every household in Idaho, even those without registered voters. Our widespread cartoon advertising campaign educated viewers about necessary IDs; we held voter registration drives at football games at every major Idaho university; and we sent Facebook alerts to all 2 million users in the state, twice. I made regular appearances on local media, including Idaho Matters and KTVB, among countless other TV and radio broadcasts. Our new VoteIdaho.gov website was hugely successful, generating over 1.6 million views and providing vital information. I bet the editorial board was among its many visitors.
We have much to be thankful for from this past election: the poll workers, clerks, and all election officials. I’m proud of Idaho and our elections, and I hope Idahoans feel the same.