Idaho has seen 22.8% increase in registered voters since 2016 - East Idaho News
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Idaho has seen 22.8% increase in registered voters since 2016

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BOISE (KIVI) — The election is getting closer and closer every day, and Idaho is likely to have more voters in this election than ever before.

The state has seen a massive increase of 179,127 registered voters since the 2016 Presidential election. With this 22.8% increase, the state is inching closer to its one-millionth voter.

“We’ve certainly seen that this upcoming presidential election is an election of high interest not only in Idaho but across the country,” Chief Deputy Secretary of State Chad Houck says. “There’s definitely been an uptick in the interest in the public in being registered to vote and having their voice heard.”

Houck also says having more options to register, such as online or in-person, makes it more accessible, and this could be why there is an increase.

“I think people are starting to become more aware of the fact that there are multiple ways to register to vote, and as a result, they are taking advantage of those multiple different channels to get that registration in a timely manner,” Houck says.

Other reasons the numbers have gone up could be people want to see a change or want to keep the current power under Trump’s Administration.

“‘I think there’s a lot of concern for wanting to ensure that policy is going in the direction that they prefer and that were electing candidates that they want to see in office,” Boise State Assistant Professor Jaclyn Kettler says.

But, that only happens if people get out and vote.

“We have more attention on this election and especially, thinking about how to carry out an election in a pandemic, has received a lot of attention. People might be getting registered earlier and trying to make sure they are in a position to make sure their vote does count in November,” Kettler says.

Houck also mentioned there hasn’t been a change in the makeup of any one party. The Republican party still has the majority when it comes to total registered voters in Idaho, and the Democratic party is the second most prominent group of registered voters.

The deadline to register to vote is next Friday, October 9 and the deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 19. To check on your voter registration status, click here.

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