Voting in the May 19 Primary

You can register to vote and request your absentee ballot at https://idahovotes.gov/. From the Secretary of State's Office: Given the growing number of coronavirus cases in Idaho, it simply was not safe for voters, election workers or the larger community to hold in-person voting for the May primary. Having Idahoans request a ballot and vote at home will protect the health of Idahoans, slow the spread of COVID-19, allow the election to move forward as scheduled and ensure everyone can still exercise their right to vote. · To vote in the May primary, Idahoans must request their ballot from their county clerk or online through the Secretary of State’s website by May 19. Once their ballot arrives to their home, voters simply fill it out and mail it back using the pre-addressed envelope. · We will be sending a ballot request form to every registered voter that has not already requested a ballot for May. If you cannot access IdahoVotes.gov to request your ballot, you do not need to worry. We will send you a request form to your registered address by mail in during the first two weeks of April. · Idahoans should not wait to request their ballot or vote in the May primary. Request your ballot now. As soon as you receive your ballot, fill it out and mail it back to be counted. · Voters who would normally request voting assistance or who have accessibility concerns should contact their county clerk’s office to discuss what accommodations may be available for the May primary. Key Dates: o Deadline to register to vote – May 19 o Deadline to request a ballot – May 19 o May primary – May 19 o Ballots counted & results released – June 2 Democrats have chosen to open up their primary to any registered voter. To put it simply, for this election, the Democratic and non-partisan ballots are available to all registered voters; the Republican ballot is only available to registered Republicans and unaffiliated voters who choose to affiliate as a Republican. Please note, non-partisan ballots only contain bonds, levies, measures and non-partisan positions like Judges. They do not contain candidates from all parties. The last day voters could change their political affiliation for the May primary was on March 13, 2020. Unaffiliated voters can change their party affiliation up to May 19, 2020.

Posted by Miranda Marquit for Idaho on Saturday, April 4, 2020