Idaho
No tampering in Idaho’s election: State, federal officials discuss November election security • Idaho Capital Sun
Idaho officials are taking steps to strengthen the state’s election security.
At a press conference on Wednesday morning, Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane met with federal officials from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise to highlight the partnership between the two agencies.
Established in 2018, CISA is the country’s newest federal agency. It was established after Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, which led to election infrastructure being designated as critical infrastructure, CISA director Jen Easterly said at the conference.
“We’re America’s cyber defense agency, and we’re the national coordinator for critical infrastructure security and resilience,” Easterly said. “We protect and defend the systems that Americans rely on every hour of every day, for health care, water, power, transportation, communication, and those systems that Americans use to cast their ballots and to ensure that those ballots are counted.”
While elections are not run by the federal government, CISA serves to provide state and local governments with cybersecurity support ahead of elections with no cost cybersecurity assessments and training.
“We’ve done a lot of work over the last 20 years — but in particular over the last four years — to continue to build the infrastructure of the system that we have so that Idahoans, when they head to the polls, can have absolute confidence that their vote will count and that nobody is tampering with the systems that we have here in our state,” McGrane said.
Foreign interference is a top concern for election officials
A major concern for U.S. officials is the potential for election interference by foreign adversaries from Iran, Russia and China.
“We know (they) are very intent on doing two things: undermining American confidence in the security of our election and in our democracy, and trying to stoke partisan rancor and discord,” Easterly said.
There have been no specific attempts from foreign groups to interfere in Idaho elections, McGrane said, adding that one of the country’s greatest strengths is its diffuse election system that makes every state conduct its own elections.
Another key security feature of the nation’s election system is that the systems used by Americans to cast their votes are not connected to the internet, Easterly said.
“I have high, high, high confidence that actors would not be able to hack into election infrastructure to change votes,” she said. “I do not think that that is a real threat at all, but I think we have to recognize that our foreign adversaries may attempt to make Americans believe that.”
Easterly said she recognizes there is skepticism about the security of U.S. elections, and she encourages skeptics to get more involved by becoming poll workers or connecting with local election officials.
“It really will take all of us to protect and preserve our democracy from very serious foreign adversaries,” she said.
Rural Idaho face greater election challenges with limited resources
In addition to foreign involvement, risks to Idahoans casting their vote are faced by those mostly in rural communities, McGrane said.
Idaho GOP says more than a dozen ‘vote no on Prop 1’ signs vandalized
Wildfires, power outages, limited cell service and even the absence of one information technology worker can hinder a rural county’s election efficiency. By working with CISA, McGrane said he hopes to provide more resources to those areas.
Other risks to Idaho elections include the possibility of active shootings and the rise of political violence, McGrane said.
“I think a perfect example of that locally is the damage to yard signs,” McGrane said.
This week, the Idaho Republican Party said more than a dozen signs in opposition to the Proposition 1 ballot initiative had been vandalized.
“The vandalism – it feels small, but as things escalate, as the political tensions rise, both nationally and locally, I think one of the things we all need to be mindful of is that an important part of our democratic process is having a voice at the ballot box,” McGrane said.
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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