Your Rights as an Idaho Voter

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 - Primary Elections

Tuesday, November 3, 2026 - General Election

What are Primary Elections?

Primary elections are held in even-number years on the third Tuesday in May to pick party candidates for federal, state, and county offices. Candidates receiving the most votes in the primaries go on to run in the general election.

Your party affiliation affects which primary races you can vote in. In Idaho, each political party determines which voters can participate in its primary elections. Learn more about party affiliation.

Any voter can choose to vote on a non-partisan ballot, which includes ballot measures and judicial positions. Information about registration requirements, voting eligibility, election day, and other information can be found here.

What are General Elections?

Successful party candidates from the primary election and nominated at their party’s convention appear on the ballot as well as statewide constitutional amendments, initiatives, referendums, and some taxing district elections. In a general election, voters choose their preferred candidate from among those listed on the ballot. Voters will receive the same ballot based on their Legislative District, regardless of party affiliation.

Deadlines for Upcoming Elections

See VoteIdaho.gov calendar for voter registration deadlines.

Online Voter Registration

You can register for upcoming elections through the Online Voter Registration system (OVR). You may still register to vote in person during the early voting period and on Election Day.

Register by Mail

1. 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.
2. Provide proof of residency that contains a valid address which matches the address used on your voter registration application.
3. 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.
4. 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.

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.

Voter 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 lost your right to vote due to a felony conviction, your rights are automatically restored once you complete 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.

Accepted Forms of I.D.

• 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 license to carry a concealed weapon issued by a county sheriff in Idaho

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 or going to an Early Voting location in your county.

Absentee Ballot Process

1. Submit an application online or download the absentee ballot application or apply to receive an absentee ballot in the mail by submitting a written request to your County Clerk. If you are currently incarcerated in jail, you may request an absentee ballot from the jail administrators. See absentee ballot deadlines for upcoming elections.
2. Complete the application form and personally sign it.
3. Submit the form early enough so that the County Clerk gets it at least eleven days before Election Day.

Receiving Absentee Ballot

1. You can check for your absentee ballot status on your voter record.
2. Once your ballot arrives, you will receive instructions on how to fill out the ballot and correctly submit your ballot.
3. For additional information about absentee ballots, click here.

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

Early Voting - In Person

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

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. As long as you are in line by 8:00 p.m., you have a right to vote.

Voting Locations

View a List of Idaho Polling Locations by County

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, visit the Vote Idaho website.

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

Contact the ACLU of Idaho Voting Rights Hotline online or by calling: 1-800-542-4737 (you will be directed to a voicemail where you can leave your information and complaint).

To be a successful voter, make sure to do the following:

• Check your voter registration ahead of time to make sure it matches your current legal name, especially if you’ve recently changed it.
• Register and vote using your current legal name.
• Register to vote early, either online, by mail, or in person. Alternatively, you can register to vote in person at the polls on election day with your ID and proof of residence.
• Identify your polling place and note the hours of operation.
• Bring a photo ID with your current legal name.
• If voting in person is uncomfortable for fear of being outed or because your gender marker does not match your identity, consider voting by absentee ballot.

Voting Scenarios

If your ID and voter registration match, you should have no issue.

If you need to re-register to vote with your new legal name, don’t worry. You can pre-register to vote up to 25 days prior to the election. You can also register in person at the polls on election day or during early voting with your ID and proof of residence.

If your gender identity and/or presentation does not match the gender marker on your ID, don’t worry. You have the right to cast a ballot. Ask for a Personal Identification Affidavit.

Gender discrepancies on ID are not a valid reason to deny a ballot. If you are not allowed to cast a ballot, ask for a Personal Identification Affidavit and request follow up instructions to make sure your vote gets counted.

To be a successful voter, make sure to do the following:

• Register to vote early, either online, by mail, or in person at least 25 days prior to the election. For in person early registration, you will need to visit your county clerk’s office.
• Alternatively, you can register to vote in person at the polls on Election Day.
• Verify your voter registration status.
• Identify your polling place and note the hours of operation.
• Bring a photo identification card or be prepared to sign the Personal Identification Affidavit.

Do you have a felony conviction?

If you are convicted of a felony, your right to vote is automatically restored once you complete your sentence, including prison time, any probation, parole, or extended supervision.

Do you have a misdemeanor conviction?

If you are convicted of a misdemeanor, you never lose your right to vote. If you think you will be in jail on Election Day, you can request an absentee ballot application, complete the form and send it to your County Clerk.

Absentee Ballot Process

To request an absentee ballot, you will need to submit an absentee ballot application online, apply in writing to the County Clerk, or, if you are incarcerated, request an absentee ballot application from jail administrators.

Complete the application form and personally sign it. Submit the form early enough that the County Clerk gets it at least 6 days before Election Day. Mail-in absentee ballots (not the absentee ballot application) must be received by 8:00 pm on Election Day.

I am staying at a shelter - can I still vote?

Yes, you can use the shelter address as your home address to register to vote. If you register to vote early by mail, no proof of residency or photo ID is required, only your Social Security Number and you can simply list the shelter’s address as your residency/mail address.

OR you can obtain a proof of residency letter from the shelter you are staying at and register on Election Day. If you decide to register on Election Day, you will need to present a photo ID and proof of residency.

What if I don’t have a driver’s license or form of photo ID?

You can still vote! Make sure to register to vote 25 days before the election so that your registration is processed on time. On Election Day you can sign the Personal Identification Affidavit to prove your identity instead of showing your ID.

What if I don’t have an address?

If you don’t have an address, you can use the following options:

• The address of a shelter you are currently staying at
• The cross street or the spot where you usually sleep (for example, “9th and Main” or “Julia Davis Park”)

Helpful Tips

• Indicate that you are currently experiencing homelessness if you use the courthouse or a cross street on your voter registration card to clarify the process of verifying an address.
• Follow up with your County Clerk in person or over the phone to receive confirmation on where your precinct and polling place are located to ensure you know where to vote on Election Day. You can also do this online.

See Disability Rights Idaho's voter toolkit for voters with disabilities.