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 early voting either in-person or by mail, also known as absentee voting. 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/. 

Early voting must begin on or before the third Monday before the election and end at 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before the election. In-person absentee voting ends at 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before the election. Absentee ballots must be received by the County Clerk no later than 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
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.

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 residents may register at a County Clerk’s office, by mail, or online. Voter mail-in registration application forms and accompanying instructions can be found here. The online registration portal can be found here.

Idaho law requires a 30-day period of residency for voter registration. Voters seeking to register prior to the election must do so at least 25 days (i.e., October 11, 2024 for the November 5, 2024 Idaho general election) prior to the date of election. 

Idaho residents must show proof of identity and residency in order to register to vote.  

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

• Showing a current proof of insurance; or 
• Showing a deed, mortgage, or leasing agreement; or 
• Showing a property tax assessment or receipt; or
• Showing a utility bill (excluding a cell phone bill);
• Showing a bank or credit card statement; 
• Showing a paystub; or 
• Showing an intake document from a residential care facility; or
• Sharing enrollment papers from the current school year by an accredited institution of higher learning in Idaho; or
• Showing 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. 

Applicants are asked on the voter registration application to provide their residence address in Idaho, sign an oath affirming that they meet the legal qualifications to register and vote, and to provide a photo identification card (e.g., driver’s license, identification card, passport, tribal id card, or license to conceal carry weapons ) and a document with a valid address (e.g., utility bill, pay stub, etc.). 

If you are unable to provide an Idaho driver’s license or identification card, you will also need to provide the last four digits of your social security number when registering via the mail-in process. You must have an Idaho driver’s license or identification card number to register via the online portal.

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 voters may vote early in person. Idaho voters may also vote via absentee ballot by mail. The application to request an absentee ballot can be found 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, which can be found at this directory. You can check on the status of your 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 (i.e., October 25, 2024 for the November 5, 2024 Idaho general election) before the 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., November 1, 2024). 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

In-person voting: A registered voter must present a photo ID or sign a personal identification affidavit to vote at the polls during early voting or on Election Day. An Idaho citizen that is already registered to vote and does not have an Idaho driver’s license or identification card will be asked to sign a personal identification affidavit before they are allowed to vote. The affidavit shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state and shall require the voter to provide the voter’s name, address, and the last four digits of the social security number.

No ID? If an individual does not have a driver’s license or identification card, they will need to register to vote in person or by mail. They cannot register online without a valid driver’s license or identification card. There are no provisional ballots in Idaho, so a voter should not request to cast a provisional ballot without the required ID.
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 (if the county offers it) 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 that 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.

A person sentenced to the custody of the Idaho State Board of Corrections after the conviction of a felony has their right to vote in Idaho suspended. The right to vote is restored once the individual has satisfactorily completed all terms of imprisonment, probation, and parole to which they were sentenced.

If an individual was convicted of a felony in another state or jurisdiction, they may register and vote in Idaho once they have satisfactorily completed all terms of imprisonment, probation, and parole to which you were sentenced in the other state or jurisdiction.

An Idaho resident who has been convicted of a felony and is currently incarcerated for that conviction, may not vote.

Being convicted of a misdemeanor does not affect an individual’s right to vote. If a voter is incarcerated following the conviction of a misdemeanor, they were never stripped of their right to vote and, therefore, can request an absentee ballot from the jail administrators.