Hundreds of missing ballots in Elmore County could affect election results
Published at
Ryan Suppe, Idaho Ed News
MOUNTAIN HOME (Idaho Ed News) — Elmore County election officials failed to count hundreds of votes cast on Nov. 4, Idaho’s secretary of state announced Monday, potentially affecting the outcomes of close trustee races and ballot measures, including a supplemental levy and a school closure.
On Friday, the Elmore County clerk’s office notified Secretary of State Phil McGrane’s office of “a potential discrepancy” between the number of voters who went to the polls and the number of ballots that were counted. On Monday, McGrane’s office announced that about 300 ballots were “not tallied or included in the final results.”
“Needless to say, this situation is very concerning,” McGrane, a Republican, said in a news release. “We are taking this matter seriously and will pursue every available path to ensure the will of the voters is accurately reflected in the results. Every vote matters, and we are committed to the accuracy and integrity of Idaho’s elections.”
The missing ballots could affect the outcomes of several school-related races and ballot measures. Unofficial results from election day showed:
- The Mountain Home School District’s $6.2 million supplemental levy passed by 20 votes,
- Voters in Elmore and Owyhee counties supported keeping Bruneau Elementary School open by a 59-vote margin,
- A Glenns Ferry School District trustee race between winner Robert Bergh and runner-up Alan Crane was decided by one vote, and
- Three votes made the difference in a Bruneau-Grand View School District trustee race between winner Raelynn Mathews and runner-up Jeremy Pineda.
Altogether, 2,820 ballots were cast, a 23% turnout of registered voters, according to Elmore County’s unofficial election day tally. The county’s seat is Mountain Home.
The secretary of state’s office sent a team to Elmore County on Tuesday to “determine the scope of the issue,” the news release said, and it’s working with the attorney general’s office and local prosecutors to “ensure the final outcome is in compliance with Idaho law.” In the meantime, the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office has taken custody of the ballots, the news release said.
The ballot discrepancy “does not meet or reflect our standards,” Elmore County Clerk Shelley Essl said in the release. “We take great pride in conducting accurate elections and are committed to ensuring every vote is counted.”
Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on November 18, 2025