KOOTENAI COUNTY, Idaho – Early voting turnout in Kootenai County has seen a significant increase this election year, with nearly 20,000 early votes cast, according to the Kootenai County Elections Office.
In comparison, early voting in 2016 saw about 8,500 votes, and in 2020, there were 9,500 early votes. This year’s turnout is more than double that of the previous election, with over 10,000 more early votes than four years ago.
Breaking down the numbers, the Elections Office reports that of the nearly 20,000 early votes, 75 were from the Constitution Party, about 150 from the Libertarian Party, 1,200 from Democrats, nearly 3,000 from unaffiliated voters, and over 15,000 from Republicans.
As polls open today, the question remains how this early turnout will translate to overall voter participation. Given the early voting numbers, ballot counters are expected to be busy.
For those curious about the path of their ballots in Kootenai County, the Elections Office explains the process. From the moment a voter places their ballot in the box, it remains unopened until a poll judge delivers it back to the Elections Office at the end of the day.
An inspection board, usually consisting of three or four teams of two people, then opens the box together to ensure nothing has been added that could affect the counting process. Once opened, the ballots are taken to a tabulator room where machines count them. The results are then exported to a system not connected to the internet before being uploaded to the Secretary of State’s website.
This thorough process is designed to ensure no votes are lost or go missing and that all write-in candidates are eligible.
The Kootenai County Elections Office anticipates releasing the first set of results shortly after 8:00 p.m., with updates every 45 minutes to an hour thereafter.
