Idaho
Election 2024: 146,000 Idaho voters and counting have already voted by absentee ballot • Idaho Capital Sun
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.
Idaho’s U.S. Attorney’s office announces election complaints program
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.
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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.
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Idaho
Idaho Ballet Theatre's 21st annual performance of 'The Nutcracker' returning to the Colonial Theater – East Idaho News
IDAHO FALLS — Idaho Ballet Theatre will be performing its annual holiday tradition of “The Nutcracker” for its 21st year this December.
“The Nutcracker,” which is a classical ballet, will be performed Dec. 5, 6 and 7 beginning at 7 p.m. The show will be held at the Colonial Theater located at 450 A. Street in Idaho Falls. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here.
“(The Nutcracker is) definitely one that many people are familiar with, but I think it resonates with so many people because you can see yourself in so many different moments throughout the ballet,” Director Abbey Lasley told EastIdahoNews.com.
The cast is made up of roughly 125 dancers. There are about 110 Idaho Ballet Theatre students performing in the production, ranging in age from three to 17. There will be guest performers and students from Brigham Young University-Idaho on stage as well.
“Everyone is local … and the majority are students,” Lasley said. “That’s what we really pride ourselves on is putting on a professional level production with an entire student cast.”
Lasley believes “The Nutcracker” is a “magical tradition” and a great way to kick off the Christmas season and focus on the “hopeful, optimistic, pure and beautiful aspects of this holiday.”
“There’s so much depth in ‘The Nutcracker’ that I think people don’t expect. People expect to see mostly all of the bright, shiny, sparkly, beautiful little parts of it — and we love all those parts — but there’s so many more layers,” she mentioned. “There’s so much more to be learned and to be internalized — things that can help us channel a really gratitude-based, optimistic view for the future.”
Lasley is one of three new directors who are making “The Nutcracker” possible this year.
Idaho Ballet Theatre’s founder and original director Brandy K. Jensen, who is Lasley’s mother, fainted last year during “The Nutcracker” rehearsals a few days before the performance. She had a stroke later that night and died December 14, 2023, at the age of 53.
“It was really hard, and it was a shock to all of us, but she got to do what she loved until the very last day and that was really a gift,” Lasley said.
Jensen started Idaho Ballet Theatre in 2003, and Lasley said she quickly began doing full-length productions like “The Nutcracker.”
“Every year she would add some elements — she’d polish something, rechoreograph something or improve it in some way,” Lasley explained. “By the time we got to her performance last year (of “The Nutcracker”), it was a very beautiful look at her life’s work.”
Lasley said the absence of her mother is going to weigh on the performers’ hearts during their December shows, but they are looking forward to taking the stage and honoring Jensen through their performances.
“We are very grateful to continue and be able to use everything she taught us and everything she embodied in her life to share this holiday magic and help people see the deeper meaning behind everything that we’re doing,” Lasley said.
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Idaho
“All hands on deck” for Idaho’s annual potato harvest
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Idaho
Cold front comes into Idaho after a rainy week
It was a rainy week with intense showers passing through the Treasure Valley. Sunday is expected to be clear but cooler weather and more precipitation is on the way.
I got to capture a phenomenal rainbow coming into the station today after some of the rain we saw on Saturday clear out.
The start of this wee will see some more rain on the way for Boise. Twin Fall will see their precipitation arrive between Monday and Tuesday with chances of rain snow/ mixes and possible accumulation.
A cold front will move in this week dropping temperatures. 40’s will turn into 30’s for the Magic and Treasure Valley’s. Mountains will expect a cool down as well. Thanksgiving is looking like a clear day though for most parts of Idaho.
Colder is coming this week, make sure to bundle up!
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