Early voting for Idaho’s May 17 primary election ends today

Early voting for the 2022 primary election in Idaho ends today, May 13. 

Early voting is available at several Ada and Canyon county locations from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. today.

After 5 p.m. today, Idahoans will need to show up at the polls on Tuesday, May 17, to vote in-person for the primary election, when polls will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., local time. 

The deadline to request an absentee ballot has already passed. 

Anybody who still has an absentee ballot must have them submitted and in the possession of the local county clerk’s office or elections office by the time the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. It is not good enough to mail absentee ballots back by the day of the election or have them postmarked before the election. All ballots must be received by the county clerk’s office or elections office by the time the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday to count. 

This year is a particularly important election year for Idaho. All statewide constitutional offices, including governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and superintendent of public instruction, are up for election this year. On top of that, all 105 seats in the Idaho Legislature are also up for election. 

Due to the 2021 redistricting process of redrawing legislative and congressional boundaries, many Idaho voters will have a new polling place or even live in a new legislative district for the first time this year. Idahoans can visit www.voteidaho.gov to find their polling place and legislative district and double check whether they are registered to vote.

Idahoans who are not yet registered to vote may register to vote during early voting today or when they show up to the polls to vote on Tuesday. To vote in the Republican primary election, voters must be affiliated with the Republican Party. The Democratic primary is open to any voter, regardless of party affiliation. 

Unaffiliated voters or unregistered voters may affiliate with the political party of their choice at the time they register to vote during early voting or at the polls on the day of the primary election.