Idaho

Election Day: Polls are open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, or until the last person in line at or before 8:00 p.m. has voted. The County Clerk may, at their discretion, open the polls in their county at 7:00 a.m. for a primary or general election.

Early Voting: Each county is responsible for setting up at least one “Absent Electors’ Voting Place”. As an alternative, some counties may conduct “early voting”. Both methods allow voters to vote in person in advance of Election Day. Each county determines the dates and times that in person voting will be available in advance of Election Day. However, all in person voting in advance of Election Day ends at 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day. Voters should check with their county clerk’s office or visit the county website to determine the details for early voting in their county.  A directory of county clerk offices is available here: https://voteidaho.gov/county-clerks/. 
If you would like more information, see the Idaho voters’ guide at https://voteidaho.gov/.

How to Find Your Polling Place: Visit the Idaho Secretary of State’s polling place locator webpage to determine where you vote. On Election Day, voters must vote at their assigned polling place. Voters should contact the office of their county clerk for information about when and where in-person early voting is available.

Registration Deadlines

• For registration deadlines, see How to Register below.

How to Check Your Registration: Voters can determine whether they are registered to vote at the following link: Am I Registered?.

You are eligible to vote in Idaho if you:

• Are a U.S. citizen
• Are a resident of Idaho
• Are at least 18 years old by Election Day

You must be a county resident for 30 days to be eligible to vote.

You are NOT eligible to vote in Idaho if:

• You are currently serving a sentence including incarceration, parole, probation, or extended supervision for a felony conviction
• A judge has specifically ruled that you are not able to vote.

Restorative Requirements

• If you have completed a felony sentence, including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or you have been pardoned, then you are immediately eligible to register to vote

How to register 

• Idaho Congressional, State and Gubernatorial Primary Election
  • Last Date to Change Party Affiliation by Fri Mar 13, 2026
  • Post Received by Fri May 8, 2026
  • Apply Online: Online by Fri May 8, 2026
  • In the Election Office by Fri May 8, 2026
  • In Person: Election Day Registration & Voting Tue May 19, 2026

Idaho residents may register at a County Clerk’s office, by mail, or online. The mail-in registration form can be found here. The online registration portal can be found here.

A voter must be a resident of Idaho for at least 30 days to qualify to register to vote. Voters seeking to register to vote in an upcoming election must do so by 5:00 p.m. on the 11th day prior to Election Day (i.e., 5:00 pm on May 8, 2026, for the May 19, 2026, primary election). 

When registering in person, Idaho residents must provide proof of identity and residency to register to vote.  

To prove identity, a person registering to vote will need to provide a current:

• Idaho Driver’s License or Identification Card,
• U.S. Passport or Federal Photo Identification Card,
• Tribal Identification Card, or
• Concealed Weapons License issued by a County Sheriff in Idaho.

To prove residency, any of the following may be provided: 

• a current proof of insurance;
• a deed, mortgage, or leasing agreement;
• a property tax assessment or receipt; 
• a utility bill (excluding a cell phone bill);
• a bank or credit card statement; 
• a paystub; 
• an intake document from a residential care facility; 
• enrollment papers from the current school year by an accredited institution of higher learning in Idaho; or
• a letter from a public or private social service agency verifying that the voter is homeless and attesting to the voter’s residence for registration purposes. 

When registering online or by mail, applicants are asked on the voter registration application to provide: 

• their residential address in Idaho, and 
• an Idaho driver’s license or identification card number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.
  

They will also be asked to affirm that they meet the legal qualifications to register and vote.

If You Want to Vote Absentee, requests may be made:

• In-Person
• By Mail
• Online

Absentee Ballots may be returned:

• In-Person
• By Mail

Idaho Congressional, State and Gubernatorial Primary Election

Ballot Request:

• Request for Postal Ballot by Fri May 8, 2026 5:00PM

Ballot Return:

• Received by Tue May 19, 2026 8:00PM

Idaho voters may vote early in person. Idaho voters may also vote via absentee ballot by mail. The application to request an absentee ballot is available here. 

The absentee ballot request can be submitted online or by mail or in person at the County Clerk’s office in which the voter resides. Contact information for the county clerk’s offices may be found here. A voter can check on the status of their absentee ballot using the Idaho “Check Your Voter Record” Tool.

For mail-in absentee ballots, the application must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 11^th day before the election (i.e., 5:00 pm on May 8, 2026, for the May 19, 2026, primary election). For in-person absentee voting, the application must be made no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before the election (i.e., May 15, 2026, for the May 19, 2026, primary election). Voters should check with their county clerk’s office or visit the county website to determine the details for early voting in their county.  

To be counted, all mail-in ballots must be received by the County Clerk’s office (by mail or in-person) by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Voter Registration

To register to vote in Idaho, if your residence does not match the record on your driver’s license, you will need to provide one of the approved proof of residence documents to your county elections office or at the polls in order to complete the registration process:

• Valid Idaho Driver’s License
• Current proof of insurance
• Deed, mortgage, lease, or rental agreement
• Utility bill excluding a cellular telephone bill
• Bank or credit card statement
• Paystub, paycheck, or government-issued check
• Idaho ID Card
• Valid US Passport
• Valid federal photo ID card
• Valid Tribal ID
• License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Firearm

Voters who are registered prior to July 1, 2023 may use a Current Student ID card from an Idaho educational institution. However, this will no longer be a valid form of identification beginning January 1, 2024.

Voting In-Person

Registered voters must present one of the following valid photo ID at the polls in order to vote. If you are not able to show an acceptable ID, you are given the option to sign a Personal Identification Affidavit.

• Valid Idaho Driver’s License
• Valid Idaho Issued ID
• Valid US Passport
• Valid Tribal ID
• License to Carry Concealed Weapon or Firearm

Voter registration: If an individual does not have a current Idaho driver’s license or identification card, they cannot register online. They will need to register to vote in person or by mail. An Idaho resident seeking to register to vote by mail will be asked to provide the number of a current driver’s license or identification card. An Idaho resident seeking to register to vote in person, either at a county clerk’s office or at the polls, will need to provide a current photo identification. Acceptable identification includes:

• Idaho Driver’s License or Identification Card,
• U.S. Passport or Federal Photo Identification Card,
• Tribal Identification Card, or
• Concealed Weapons License issued by a County Sheriff in Idaho

In-person voting: A registered voter must present a current photo identification to vote in person. Acceptable identification includes:

• Idaho Driver’s License or Identification Card,
• U.S. Passport or Federal Photo Identification Card,
• Tribal Identification Card, or
• Concealed Weapons License issued by a County Sheriff in Idaho.
  

A registered voter who is unable to provide personal identification that meets this requirement may sign a personal identification affidavit to vote at the polls during early voting or on Election Day. The affidavit will require the voter to affirm their identity.

Voting by Mail: A registered voter does not need to provide a copy of their identification when voting by mail. They will be required to sign an affidavit on one of the envelopes in which the ballot is returned. The affidavit will affirm that they are who they say they are.

Free ID for Voting: An Idaho resident who does not have an Idaho driver’s license or identification card may obtain a free identification card for voting from the Idaho Department of Motor Vehicles. More information on obtaining a free identification card for voting is available here. 

Provisional Ballot: Idaho does not use provisional ballots. If a voter does not have acceptable identification, they may sign a personal identification affidavit in order to vote.
If there are any questions regarding your identification or proof of residence, please contact your County Clerk’s office.

If the individual has been an Idaho resident for at least 30 days before an election, they may go to the correct polling place for their new residence during early voting or on Election Day, and register to vote at their new address.

If they move to another county within Idaho or to another State within 30 days before an election, they may vote in the ensuing election in Idaho by absentee ballot or at the polling place assigned to their prior address.

Voting Military

Service members and their dependents may register and request a ballot using the federal voter registration/ballot request form (“FPCA”). You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

• Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
• U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
• Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number

Voting Overseas

U.S. citizens living overseas may register and request a ballot using the overseas voter registration/ballot request form. You will have the following identification options when completing the form:

• Option to Indicate that you do not have the Requested ID
• U.S. State or Territory or District Issued ID
• Last 4 Digits of your Social Security Number

Idaho residents who are absent from their voting residence and who are in the military or merchant marines (or an eligible family member of a member of the military or merchant marine), the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or are private U.S. citizens living abroad may use the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FPCA) to register to vote and to request an absentee ballot.
Specific instructions for registering and requesting an absentee ballot can be found at the Idaho Military and Overseas Citizens voting page.

Anyone convicted of a felony in any jurisdiction is ineligible to vote. Their right to vote is automatically restored once they have completed all terms of imprisonment, probation, and parole to which they were sentenced.

An individual who is incarcerated before trial or sentencing, or who is not convicted of a felony, may vote using a mail-in absentee ballot while incarcerated.