With five days to go until the 2024 general election, nearly 150,000 Idaho voters have already voted by absentee ballot, according to the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office.

As of Thursday afternoon, 146,139 Idahoans had cast their vote by absentee ballot, surpassing the total number of votes by absentee ballot in the 2022 election. 

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During the 2022 general election, which was not a presidential election, 129,210 Idahoans voted by absentee ballot, according to the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office. 

An additional 173,795 Idaho voters had participated in early voting for the 2024 election, as of Wednesday.

“With Idahoans showing up in large numbers for early voting and absentee, we are on the path to a historic turnout for the Nov. 5 general election,” Secretary of State Phil McGrane said in a written statement Wednesday. “I encourage every eligible voter to make a plan, whether it’s early voting through Friday, returning an absentee ballot, or heading to the polls on Election Day.”

About 23% of absentee ballots requested have not yet been returned, so the number of votes by absentee ballot is likely to continue to increase until polls close on Election Day.

Most of the voters who have voted by absentee ballot are Republicans. According to the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office, 82,059 of the absentee ballots that have been returned for the 2024 general election are from registered Republicans. That compares to 33,727 ballots from unaffiliated voters, 29,276 from registered Democrats, 791 from Libertarians and 286 from Constitution Party members.

In an interview Thursday at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, McGrane said he has been most surprised and impressed by the 173,795 early in-person early votes.

“One of things that I have found most interesting this election is that as of right now, we have more early votes cast than we do absentee ballots cast, and I think if this trend continues today and tomorrow, I think this might be the first election where early voting surpassing absentee voting,” McGrane said. “And that is noteworthy.”

McGrane said he attributes the increase in early voting to voters simply feeling more comfortable voting that way.

“I think we are feeling the energy around early voting this cycle,” McGrane said.

Idaho legislators have sought to restrict absentee voting

Even though absentee voting is popular in Idaho, some Idaho legislators have sought to restrict absentee voting.

In 2023 and 2024, the Idaho Legislature’s House State Affairs Committee introduced bills sponsored by Reps. Joe Alfieri, R-Coeur d’Alene, and Mike Kingsley, R-Lewiston, respectively, that would have limited who was eligible to request an absentee ballot. Ultimately, the Idaho House killed Alfieri’s bill, House Bill 205, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported, while Kingsley’s bill, House Bill 667, was sent out for possible amendments and never advanced. 

In 2023 the Idaho House passed a different bill, House Bill 259, which would have restricted who could distribute absentee ballot request forms. The Idaho Senate never took House Bill 259 up, which died when the 2023 session adjourned. 

All absentee ballots must be received by county elections office before polls close Nov. 5

The deadline to request an absentee ballot in Idaho was Oct. 25. As of Thursday, about 76.7% Idaho absentee ballots that were requested have been returned. Idaho voters must return their completed absentee ballot to their county’s elections office by the time polls close at 8 p.m. local time on Election Day, Nov. 5. On Wednesday, the Idaho Secretary of States Office asked voters who have not yet returned their ballots to use an official elections drop box or take their absentee ballot to their county elections office. 

“It is now too late to mail absentee ballots to guarantee arrival by the deadline on Election Day,” the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office said in a press release issued Wednesday. 

For Idahoans who do not vote early or by absentee ballot, polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time for those voting in person on Election Day. Residents can register to vote at the polls in Idaho. To register to vote in person, voters will need a current photo ID and proof of residence.

BOISE – In an effort to reduce classroom distractions, Idaho Governor Brad Little and Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield introduced Executive Order 2024-11, titled the “Phone Free Learning Act.” This new policy aims to encourage Idaho schools to implement restrictions on cell phone use by the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. Schools adopting this policy will receive a one-time award of $5,000.

Governor Little emphasized the growing concern over cell phones in the classroom, stating, “When kids are more concerned about what’s happening on their cell phones than what they are learning in class, we need to respond.” Superintendent Critchfield highlighted research indicating that cell phones affect students’ focus and brain development, expressing that such policies are a step toward improved academic success.

Addilyn Lewis, a senior from Owyhee High School, spoke in favor of the initiative, sharing her experience with a phone-free policy in her school. “My grades have gone up, and I feel more productive,” she said. Parents in the West Ada School District, where phone restrictions are already in place, also shared positive feedback, noting improved grades and focus among students.

The initiative signals potential future collaboration with the Idaho Legislature to establish a more permanent statewide policy on cell phone use in schools.

The Phone Free Learning Act can be found at this link: https://gov.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/eo-2024-11.pdf