COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – Kootenai County voters are turning out in large numbers for early voting in the lead-up to the election.
According to Kootenai County Clerk Jennifer Locke, the county is traditionally known for residents voting on Election Day. However, this year shows a potential shift. “Early voting numbers we are tracking to beat those numbers we had in 2020,” Locke said about the current trend.
On Thursday, the Kootenai County Elections Office was busy with those eager to cast their early votes. Voters experienced a wait time of approximately 30 minutes. Steven Sawhill, who voted on Thursday, joked, “30 minutes, you might not get to watch your one little show on Netflix, that might be the only downside.”
The increase in early votes is expected to ease the burden on poll workers come Election Day. “It helps the poll workers on election day,” said Locke. “Having more people early vote helps with the lines and getting people through and registering and voting.”
As of now, 21.1% of registered voters in Kootenai County have either voted early or returned their absentee ballots. This includes more than 9,200 early voters and 14,600 absentee ballots that have been returned. By comparison, Spokane County, where early voting is standard, has received about 27.3% of their ballots back as of Thursday morning.
Kootenai County voters have until Friday, Nov. 1, to vote early, with voting only available at the elections office, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Absentee voting in Idaho must be requested, and no absentee ballots will be issued after 5 p.m. tomorrow.
For those not yet registered, registration is available during early voting hours or in person on Election Day. If people change their name or address at any time between elections, they’ll need to re-register.
