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
“We won’t insure you”: Robie Creek homeowners struggle to get home insurance due to wildfire risks
ROBIE CREEK, Idaho — The Claremont Fire has brought wildfire risks to top of mind for neighbors living in places like Robie Creek, where residents saw Level 3 evacuations this week.
Many Idaho homeowners in rural areas like Boise County say they are having their home insurance policies dropped because of wildfire risks, leaving many scrambling to find coverage or going with none at all.
“This one was good — we knew it was coming, the one that was the Valley Fire in 2024 came up behind the hill. It was closer than this one even,” said Christian Dahlstrom, who has lived in Rocky Canyon since 2008.
WATCH | Hear from Robie Creek homeowners about being dropped from coverage with no luck getting re-insured
“We won’t insure you”: Robie Creek homeowners struggle to get home insurance due to wildfire risks
“I was insured since then until last year, so following the 2024 fire or fires, the insurance companies up here started reevaluating and they canceled a lot of folks and I was one of them,” Dahlstrom said.
He and many of his neighbors are now living without homeowners insurance because they can’t find a provider that will offer them full coverage.
“I have contacted every insurance carrier in the phonebook,” Dahlstrom said.
He said his mortgage company eventually insured the home, but only for the value of the mortgage. He could still lose everything if the home were destroyed in a fire.
“One insurance company said yep they’ll insure me but I had to take every single tree off the property. Well, then why am I living in the forest?” Dahlstrom added.
Others in Robie Creek say they are facing similar problems.
“And it’s not even a, well now you have to pay twice as much. It’s a we won’t insure you,” said Oscar Williamson.
Williamson recently bought a home in Robie Creek and said he needed insurance coverage to close on the property.
“We had gone through 40 different insurance companies to try to get it insured and nobody would ensure it they said it was in a high fire area,” Williamson said.
He nearly backed out of the purchase until his mortgage company offered limited coverage similar to Dahlstrom’s.
“You have no choice either run it without insurance or you don’t own the house,” Williamson said. “There should be an easier way of doing this.”
RELATED | “We’re all being canceled”: Idaho homeowners struggle to maintain home insurance amid wildfire risks
This is an issue affecting homeowners across the Treasure Valley and Idaho — residents in Garden Valley and the Boise Foothills have also reported losing coverage because of wildfire risk concerns.
RELATED | Idaho homeowners face insurance cancellations and rate hikes over wildfire risk
Boise Fire Chief Aaron Hummel says they’re working with partners to help reduce risks for homeowners and improve insurability.
“We also we’re trying to do our part with the Western Fire Chief Association, insurance carriers to see what can we do to use some of the contemporary tools to help mitigate some of this challenge,” Hummel said.
They are hoping to use new technology and grant funding to better protect homes in the wildland-urban interface.
“And essentially what we’re trying to do is leverage current AI technology and modeling tools to be very targeted in addressing areas that are vulnerable,” Hummel said.
You can find more information about Boise Fire’s goal to help reduce wildfire risks for homeowners here.
ADAMS COUNTY, Idaho — A brush fire burning near Old Highway 95 and Mesa prompted GO NOW evacuations, road closures and a power outage on Thursday in Adams County.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office ordered people in the Mesa, Kilborn, Highland and Whitman areas to leave immediately.
Mesa Lane and Kilborn Lane have been closed, and officials are asking people to stay out of the area while firefighters work.
Idaho Power reported an outage between Mesa and Fruitvale Road and said crews are on scene.
Officials said livestock threatened by the fire can be taken to the Adams County Fairgrounds.
The sheriff’s office said its business phone lines were temporarily unavailable, but 911 remained operational for emergencies. Officials later said the phone system was restored.
CALDWELL, Idaho (CBS2) — More than 2,000 Idaho Power customers in Canyon County are without electricity Wednesday evening as crews respond to an outage affecting Caldwell and Middleton.
Idaho Power reported the outage at 8 p.m. July 8, listing 2,163 customers impacted in the 83605, 83644 and 83687 ZIP codes.
The outage is expected to be resolved by 10 p.m. July 8; Idaho Power said a crew was dispatched and en route. The cause of the outage is not immediately known.
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