KOOTENAI COUNTY, Idaho — With the 2024 general election just around the corner, the Kootenai County Elections Department (KCED) wants to provide you with the information you need to be ready to vote.
Kootenai County will be offering in-person early voting at the Elections Department in Coeur d’Alene starting Tuesday, October 15th and continuing through Friday, November 1st during normal business hours.
According to KCED, as of Wednesday 110,644 residents in Kootenai County had registered to vote, with around 16% of those registered requesting absentee ballots.
“We’re going to have high turnout, and I know we’re going to have high turnout in Kootenai County on election day, probably the highest in the state, so be prepared for that too,” said Jennifer Locke, Kootenai County Clerk.
Locke hopes to have 550 poll workers trained by election day. Their training focuses on understanding regulations and being prepared for high voter turnout.
“Be patient with our poll workers on election day; they’re volunteering for 15-hour shifts. If voters come prepared—whether with registration or knowing the ballot—it will help things run smoothly,” Locke said.
Poll workers are also those who validate the signature on each absentee ballot. “That’s really important for voters to understand that we’re looking at that with the human eye,” said Locke.
Every voter in Kootenai County will have a two-page ballot. Locke encourages all voters to look at their ballot ahead of elections day since some questions vary depending on which city you live in.
New legislation also makes it so voters in Idaho can no longer use an out of state ID when voting. “Come in and just register now, because we have to see proof of ID, and then we have to see proof of residency,” said Locke.
Another law to ensure election are safe, requires that tabulators are never connected to the internet.
You can see your sample ballot, polling location, absentee ballot status, and access your voter information via this link.
For more information on Kootenai County’s General Election and important dates, click here.
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