NOVEMBER 5th ELECTION INFORMATION
Caldwell, ID – Canyon County is gearing up for the November 5th general election. The Board of County Commissioners approved polling locations this morning. Please keep the following in mind:
Voter registration information. Voters can check their voter registration status at voteidaho.gov. The public can still pre-register to vote until October 11th. After October 11th, registration will only be available in person at one of the early voting locations or on election day with valid proof of identification and address verification. If voters have changed their addresses since they last voted, they are encouraged to update their voter registration.
Polling locations. Canyon County will feature 45 polling locations on November 5th. If a voter hasn’t voted since the last presidential general election in 2020, it’s probable that the polling location for this election has changed, as there are more polling locations for 2024 than in 2020. The efforts in providing more polling locations is intended to help serve the voting public. Voters can identify their polling location here: View My Voting Location (idaho.gov). These polling locations are identical to the locations for the May primary election.
Early, in-person voting. In addition to the established locations for election day, there are three locations for in-person, early voting. Any qualified elector in Canyon County may vote at any early voting location, as preferred for convenience. Each location serves the county at-large, as voters can check in and receive their specific ballot style based on residency. Early voting is available from October 21st-November 1st, Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the following locations:
- Idaho Hispanic Community Center (315 Stampede Dr., Nampa)
- Caldwell Elks Lodge (1015 N. Kimball Ave., Caldwell)
- Southwest District Health (13307 Miami Ln., Caldwell)
Absentee ballots. Absentee ballots can be requested online at voteidaho.gov. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5:00 p.m. on October 25th. Absentee ballots MUST be returned to the Canyon County Elections Office no later than 8:00 p.m. on November 5th. Please note that all absentee ballots received through the mail after the November 5th deadline will not be counted, even if postmarked prior to November 5th. The public is advised to physically return absentee ballots to the office when close to election day.
Printed, hand-marked ballot option. In addition to the ballot-marking devices deployed at all voting locations, we’ve added a new, print-on-demand ballot option for voters who may prefer to mark their choices by pen on a printed ballot. At voter check-in, a voter may designate their preferred method for voting. These units have been added to the existing fleet of ballot-marking devices to add more total voting booths at every location to provide increased booths and to accommodate voter preference for ballot style.
Come prepared. We’ve worked with the Secretary of State’s Office to provide all of the sample ballot styles, specific to the voter based on district, to be incorporated in the voter look-up tool for voting location: View My Voting Location (idaho.gov). After typing in the address on the link, one should see both the polling location and a sample ballot link below that is precise to the voter. The ballot is multiple pages, including candidates for various offices and at least several ballot measures, totaling at least 25 items that will be on each ballot. The ballot measures will take some time to read and comprehend. The estimated time it will take to vote for each item will vary by voter, but it may take around 10 minutes per voter just to read and mark their entire ballot once in the voting booth. The voter does have the option of not marking every item on the ballot if so desired. With the possibility of an 80% turnout of over 115,000 registered voters (and counting) and a long ballot with items requiring some time for reading and review, this combination of high turnout and a long ballot will inevitably contribute to potential wait times, especially during peak demand times. We encourage review of the sample ballot prior to voting and will also be deploying numerous sample ballots for voters to review while in line on election day. All of these efforts will aid an educated decision and help move the line more efficiently than the alternative of reviewing the items on the ballot for the very first time once in the booth. Please note that if someone has a difficult time standing in line, such voters can take a seat (as available) and have their spot in line saved with the assistance of a poll worker. Increasing locations and adding more voting booths at each location are intended to help serve the demand on election day, but even these efforts won’t fully alleviate wait times. Some may want to consider absentee voting or early in-person voting, especially if one’s time is limited on election day. There are various options available, all intended to help serve the public.
Electioneering prohibitions. Senate Bill 1244 prohibits electioneering at polling locations within 250 feet of the designated primary entrance/exit of a polling location. This excludes adjacent private property that may be within the 250 feet.
Clerk Hogaboam: “The general election on the presidential cycle is by far the highest turnout election. While voters can certainly choose just to vote for one item, there are many items on the ballot besides the presidential contest, and making an informed decision on all items will require some research. While we’re making every effort in expanding voting locations and increasing voting booths at each polling location, lines are inevitable. My greatest concern is that citizens intending to exercise their constitutional right would be deterred by long lines. I strongly encourage voters with time constraints on election day to consider voting either absentee or in person at one of our three early voting locations. It’s more important that your vote is counted, and we’re working hard at providing multiple options.”