Ada County gears up for what could be its largest-ever election. Here’s what to expect
You saw the lines out there to vote ahead of Election Day. Turnout this year will be no joke, according to Ada County elections officials.
Voter registration is setting records. In 2020, the county had about 321,000 registered voters, including people who register on Election Day. As of Monday, the county had already exceeded that number, said Nicole Camarda, a spokesperson for the county elections office. The county had about 230,000 registered voters in 2016.
As of Monday, nearly 6,000 people had registered to vote during early voting, Camarda told the Idaho Statesman by email. The county typically sees about 20,000 new registrations on Election Day, Elections Director Saul Seyler said at an Oct. 17 news conference.
These late registrants could raise the number of registered voters to nearly 350,000. In 2023, Ada County had about 410,000 residents of voting age.
Turnout is setting records, too, in early voting — and the county seems likely to set a record in overall turnout. It set a record for number of ballots cast in 2020, with over 260,000 cast. As of Monday, county voters had already cast over 130,000 votes in early voting.
County Clerk Trent Tripple estimated turnout this election would be well over 80% of registered voters.
"This could certainly be the largest election in Ada County," Camarda said Monday by email.
Republicans dominate absentee ballots
As of Wednesday, early voters had cast almost 300,000 ballots throughout Idaho — surpassing the total number of ballots cast in the May primary, according to a news release from the Idaho Secretary of State's office.
Of the ballots cast, over 60% were from registered Republicans. About 20% were registered as unaffiliated, and about 15% were registered Democrats.
That uptick reflected trends in other states. North Carolina broke its turnout record on its first day of early voting, soon after Georgia far outpaced its first-day voting total from 2020, The Washington Post reported .
What to know to vote
If you haven't voted yet, check out the Idaho Statesman's story, " A procrastinator's guide to Idaho's general election ." It has details and links to news stories and official voting sites that will inform you in a hurry about what and who (besides Donald Trump and Kamala Harris) are on your ballot, and what you need to do to vote.
If you have voted in past years, your voting precinct may have changed. To keep up with growth and keep precincts at a manageable size, the state redistricted in 2022, adding almost 50 new precincts. Even since then, some precincts have grown too quickly — "so that process will continue to evolve," Seyler said. The county has also bought more voting equipment, including scanners and voting booths.
Voters registering on Election Day must provide a current photo ID and proof of residence, like a lease or utility bill.
Polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. To follow results as they come in, stay tuned to IdahoStatesman.com.
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