Friday is the deadline to request an absentee ballot for Idaho’s May 20 election

BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) — Idaho voters have until 5 p.m., local time, on Friday to request an absentee ballot, according to a press release issued Wednesday by the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office.

Idaho voters can request an absentee ballot online for free at voteidaho.gov, the official state election website run by the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office.

However, in order to request an absentee ballot, voters first must be registered to vote, elections officials said.

Anyone who is not yet registered to vote may still register to vote at their polling place and vote on Election Day. Voters can find their polling place, review their sample ballot and more at voteidaho.gov.

What will be on Idaho ballots for the May 20 election?

“Local elections are a powerful way to shape the decisions that affect our daily lives.”

On May 20, local elections will take place in 37 of Idaho’s 44 counties. 

The specific elections voters get to participate in vary depending on where the voter lives, but local elections like library districts, highway districts, school district bond issues or supplemental levies, auditorium districts or hospital districts are being voted on across the state.

“This May, there are some important races happening in Idaho,” Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane said in a written statement. “Across 37 counties, voters will have the chance to weigh in on candidates and issues, from highway districts in Canyon County, water and sewer districts in Eagle, to a library levy in Burley. I encourage all Idahoans to take part in the May 20 election.”

While voters in Blaine, Butte, Clark, Custer, Elmore, Lemhi and Washington counties do not have any elections on May 20, voters in all other Idaho counties do have elections on their ballots.

In Ada County, there are several important elections, depending on where voters live.

In the Meridian Library District, there are four candidates running for two available library district trustee positions.

In the Greater Boise Auditorium District, there are four candidates running for two available seats on the board.

In the Ada County Free Library District, there are six candidates running for two available trustee seats.

“Local elections are a powerful way to shape the decisions that affect our daily lives,” McGrane said.

If voters do not wish to vote by absentee ballot, polls will be open across Idaho for in-person voting from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., local time, on May 20.

Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: info@idahocapitalsun.com.