We’re less than 100 days away from the general election, and Idaho’s county clerks are working to strike the balance between accessibility, accuracy and safety amid the COVID-19 crisis.
GOOD MORNINGEVERYONE ... ANDWELCOME TO GOODMORNING IDAHO.I'M MATT SIZEMORE...WE'RE LESS THANONE HUNDRED DAYSFROM THE GENERALELECTION.AND IDAHO'SCOUNTY CLERKS...ARE WORKING TOENSUREACCESSIBILITY...ACCURACY... ANDSAFETY AT THEPOLLS.AS OUR MADELINEWHITE REPORTS -IDAHO OFFICIALS AREPLANNING TO OFFERBOTH ABSENTEE -AND IN-PERSONVOTING - IN THENOVEMBER THIRDELECTION."BOTH OPTIONS FORVOTING... ON THETABLE - EVENTHOUGH, AS IREPORTED -OFFICIALS SAYABSENTEE VOTINGSHOULD NOT BECAUSE FORCONCERN OF FRAUDIN IDAHO - AND ONECLERK..
TELLING USABSENTEE-ONLYVOTING LIKE WE HADIN MAY - HAS NOTPROVEN TOSUPPRESS VOTERTURNOUT LOCALLY.""IDAHO SAW ITSHIGHEST TURNOUT INTERMS OF TOTALVOTERS EVER IN OURLAST PRIMARYWHERE WE DID IT ALLVIA THE MAIL."BUT THE CHIEFDEPUTY SECRETARYOF STATE SAYS HESURVEYED CLERKSFROM COUNTIESACROSS THE GEMSTATE."THE QUESTIONCOMES DOWN TOWHAT IS THE RIGHTFIT FOR THESITUATION?"AND FOUND ABOUT75 PERCENT OF THEMREPORTED FEELINGCOMFORTABLEHOSTING POLLINGPLACES INNOVEMBER."I ALSO SURVEYEDSOCIAL MEDIA USERSON IDAHOFACEBOOK GROUPS -AND OF THE 167PEOPLE WHOREPLIED WITH ACLEAR PREFERENCE- 83 PERCENT OFTHEM SAID THEY'REIN FAVOR OF IN-PERSON POLLINGPLACES - REMAININGAN OPTION."ONE USER FOREXAMPLE - SAYINGSHE DOESN'T TRUSTVOTING BYABSENTEE.
ANOTHER- SAYING SHE'SSHOCKED THEY'REGOING TO ALLOWIN-PERSON VOTING.EVEN THOUGH THEELEPHANT IN THEROOM IS THIS -IDAHO'SCORONAVIRUSCURVE SWOOPINGDRASTICALLYUPWARD SINCE THATMAY PRIMARY."WE STILL WANT TOMAKE THEAVAILABILITY, ASMUCH AS POSSIBLE,WE WANT TO MAKE ITWHERE THEY HAVETHE OPTION OF THATPHYSICAL POLLINGLOCATION, BECAUSESOME PEOPLE QUITEFRANKLY JUSTPREFER TO CAST APHYSICAL BALLOT."NOW THIS DOESN'TNECESSARILY MEANPOLLING PLACESWILL BE ASCROWDED AS YEARSPAST."WE'RE GONNAPROBABLY SEE FOURTIMES AS MANYPEOPLE JUST ONWHAT'S ALREADYBEEN REQUESTEDTHAT ARE ALREADYGOING TO HAVEABSENTEE BALLOTSIN THEIR HANDSPRIOR TO THENOVEMBERELECTION."CHAD SAYS THEY'REURING ABSENTEEVOTERS TO SUBMITTHEIR VOTES EARLYSO AS TO MITIGATEFOOT TRAFFIC AT THEPOLLS - PLUS - THESEPRECAUTIONS:"WE'RE PARTNERINGWITH ANHEUSER-BUSCH, THEY'REPROVIDING HANDSANITIZER FOR ALLOF OUR COUNTIES..WE'RE ADVISINGCOUNTY CLERKS ONCDC GUIDELINES."STILL - HEENCOURAGESABSENTEE VOTING."WE WANT TO DRIVEPEOPLE ANDADVOCATE PEOPLETO UTILIZE THEABSENTEE BALLOT IFTHEY FEEL THATTHAT'S WHAT THEYWANT TO DO."THE CLERK OFIDAHO'S MOSTPOPULOUS COUNTY -ADA - SAYING HEFEELS HE CANHANDLE THE HYBRIDSITUATION - BUT ISHOPING FOR A LITTLEMORE SUPPORT."IN MY NEXT REPORTIN THIS ELECTIONSERIES.
I'LL BEDIVING INTO THEHEALTH AND SAFETYOF POLL WORKERSTHIS NOVEMBE - ANDHOW IDAHOOFFICIALS AREPLANNING TOMITIGATE THREAT OFTRANSMISSION TOTHAT GROUP - WHICHIS TYPICALLYCOMPOSED OFFOLKS FROM THESENIORDEMOGRAPHIC.MADELINE WHITE.IDAHO NEWS 6."YOU CAN REGISTERTO VOTE AT IDAHOVOTES - DOT - GOV.AND IF YOU'VEMOVED RECENTLY...YOU'LL LIKELY NEEDTO RE-REGISTER.WE SHOULD NOTE...THE ELECTION... ISONE THE POSSIBLETOPICS OFDISCUSSION... WHENTHE LEGISLATURERECONVENES FOR ASPECIAL SESSIONLATER THIS MONTH.
Indiana voters must have a reason to vote by mail for this November election. However, COVID-19 is not one you can use as an..
