Voting for Pocatello runoff now open; Blackfoot opening Monday
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POCATELLO — Pocatellans can cast their vote in the mayoral runoff election through Nov. 26.
Early voting for the Nov. 30 runoff election between incumbent Brian Blad and challenger David Worley opened Friday. According to Bannock County Public Information Officer Emma Iannacone, there are options for those who wish to vote.
“Just like with normal early voting, for the two weeks from today until the Friday after Thanksgiving, people can come into the elections office and pick up their ballot,” Iannacone told EastIdahoNews.com.
Mail-in ballots will also be made available to all voters who requested them for the regular election, she added. Those will be automatically be distributed to all voters within the eligible precincts and must be turned in by 8 p.m. on Nov. 30.
Blad, originally challenged by three rival candidates, received the majority of votes on election night earlier this month, but fell short of the required 50%-plus one vote required to claim victory.
The Nov. 3 election night finished with Blad, in search of his fourth term as Pocatello mayor, owning 5,162 votes — 46% of those cast — while Worley ended the night with 3,745 votes — 34%.
Similarly, incumbent mayor Marc Carroll in Blackfoot received 594 votes — 38% — besting three challengers but coming short of the required number of votes. Thus, he will face top challenger Craig Stuart — who received 507 votes, or 32%, on election night — in a separate runoff election.
Early voting in Blackfoot begins Monday, according to the Bingham County Elections Office, and closes Nov. 26.
Like Bannock County voters, all eligible Bingham County voters who received an absentee ballot for the Nov. 3 election will receive another for this “extension election.”
EastIdahoNews.com will be hosting a debate between the two candidates in Blackfoot, Wednesday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. More information regarding the debate will be provided as it becomes available.
Results for both runoff races will be available eat EastIdahoNews.com on election night.