2022 Your Rights as an Idaho Voter

March 11, 2022

YOUR RIGHTS AS AN IDAHO VOTER

One of the ways our democracy is ensured is through voting. Voting rights have been contentious issue throughout America’s history, and the ACLU of Idaho wants you to be able to continue to exercise your rights at the ballot box.

Transgender Voting Rights in Idaho

Voting with a Criminal Conviction

Voting while Experiencing Homelessness

Student Voting Rights in Idaho

Requirements:

To be eligible to vote in Idaho you must meet the following requirements:

Be U.S. citizen
Be a resident of Idaho and in the county for 30 days prior to Election Day
At least 18 years old before or on Election Day
*Have no felony convictions on your criminal record

*In Idaho, if you have lost your right to vote due to a felony conviction, your rights are automatically restored once you have completed all sentencing requirements, including probation and parole. See Idaho Code Section 18-310(2) and (4).

Identification Requirements

Idaho law requests that you show approved picture identification (I.D) on Election Day before voting or you can sign a Personal Identification Affidavit if you are not also registering to vote on Election Day. If you choose to use photo identification. The picture on the I.D. must match your presentation, and the name on the I.D. must match the name on the voter registration list.

If you identify as transgender and the photo on your I.D. does not match your presentation, you may still sign the Personal Identification Affidavit to confirm your identity. On the Affidavit, you will have to swear to your identity under penalty of perjury. Putting incorrect information on the affidavit is a felony.

View more Transgender Voting Rights information.

Accepted Forms of ID

Idaho Driver’s License or an identification card issued by the Idaho Department of Transportation
U.S. passport or Federal Identification card
A tribal photo identification card
A current student photo I.D. issued by an Idaho high school or post-secondary education institution
A license to carry a concealed weapon issued by a county sheriff in Idaho

Voter Registration:

October 14, 2022 is the pre-registration deadline for the November 8 Elections.
Online registration forms must be submitted by midnight on October 14.
Voter registration forms sent via mail must be postmarked for October 14.
Voter registration forms delivered in person must be received by 5:00 p.m. at your county clerk’s office on October 14.
Early voting begins on October 24, 2022. You can register in person during the early voting period or on Election Day.

IMPORTANT: If you are a first-time voter in Idaho, you will need to submit a copy of current and valid photo identification (such as an Idaho driver’s license or other accepted photo identification) and proof of residency. If you do not have photo identification you may fill out the Personal Identification Affidavit form as proof of identity. Note: you may not use the Personal Identification Affidavit in place of accepted photo identification if you are registering in person at your polling place on Election Day.

Online Voter Registration

The Online Voter Registration system (OVR) for the 2022 General Elections will be available beginning on August 31, 2022. You may still register to vote in person during the early voting period, and on Election Day (November 8).

Register by Mail

Complete the voter registration form and mail it to your local county clerk’s office. A list of county clerk addresses is located on the form.
Provide proof of residency that contains a valid address which matches the address used on your voter registration application.
Provide a copy of your photo I.D. card. You cannot sign the Personal Identification Affidavit in lieu of photo I.D. if you are registering in person on Election Day.
Your county elections office will mail you a notification card letting you know that your registration was received.

Register in Person at Your Polling Place on Election Day:

Complete the voter registration form and submit it at your polling place.
Provide proof of residency that contains a valid address which matches the address used on your voter registration form.
Provide a photo I.D. card. Note: you cannot sign the Personal Identification Affidavit in place of photo I.D. if you are registering in person on Election Day.

Documents Accepted to Prove Residency:

A valid Idaho driver’s license was issued through the Idaho Department of Transportation.
A valid Idaho identification card was issued through the Idaho Department of Transportation.
Any document which contains a valid address in the county you reside in, together with a photo identification card.
Students may use a valid student identification card from their university or college in Idaho combined with a current student fee statement that contains the student’s valid address in the county with a picture identification card.

Early Voting

Early voting is a process that allows you to vote prior to the election if you know you will not be able to cast your ballot on Election Day. You can vote early by using the Absentee Ballot Process.

Absentee Ballot Process

Download the absentee ballot application online OR apply to receive an absentee ballot in the mail by submitting a written request to your County Clerk to request an absentee ballot. If you are currently incarcerated in jail, you may request an absentee ballot from the jail administrators. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is October 28, 2022.
Complete the application form and personally sign it.
Submit the form early enough so that the County Clerk gets it at least six days before Election Day.

To be a successful voter, your official ballot (NOT the absentee ballot application) must be received by 8:00 pm on Election Day—November 8, 2022.

For in-person early voting, contact your county clerk for dates, times, and location for absentee polling place in your county.

In person early voting at your absentee polling place ends at 5:00 p.m. on November 4, 2022.

View a list of county clerks in Idaho

Election Day

On Election Day polls will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., unless otherwise posted.

Voting Locations

VIEW A LIST OF IDAHO POLLING LOCATIONS BY COUNTY

There are several ways to find out where to vote on Election Day:

There are several ways to find out where to vote on Election Day.

If you register to vote at least 25 days before Election Day, you should receive a voter registration card in the mail that tells you where your polling place is, depending on what county you live in.

FIND YOUR POLLING LOCATION

You can also contact your County Clerk to find your polling place.

For more information about Idaho elections please visit https://voteidaho.gov/.

For more information about Idaho elections, the Vote Idaho website.

Are you having issues or experiencing barriers exercising your right to vote?

Contact the ACLU of Idaho Voting Rights Hotline by phone or online:

Phone: 1-800-542-4737

Online: VOTING RIGHTS HOTLINE FORM