'Unprecedented' turnout expected in North Idaho
<p>Kootenai County Commissioner Marc Eberlein compares test ballot results provided by the state to results from the Kootenai County Elections Office's ballot tabulators on Monday at the Elections Office.</p>
<p>Carrie Phillips, Kootenai County elections manager, stands next to the office’s DS850 ballot tabulators, or ballot reading machines, on Monday at the elections office. The machine processed a test ballot without a hitch Monday.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE — This election season has been unlike any other in Kootenai County history.
The grand finale comes today.
Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the general election.
County Clerk Jim Brannon said a record of more than 20,000 residents — 28 percent of the total number of local voters — cast their votes during the early voting period or with absentee ballots.
"Unprecedented turnout," he said Monday.
Still, a slowdown today at the polls isn’t expected.
"There will be lines," he said.
Brannon said he made the decision to open the polls an hour earlier than previous elections to ease those lines a little.
He said that due to the heavy voter turnout expected, final local results aren't expected to be available until Wednesday morning.
"We're hoping for 3 a.m.," he said. "Voter turnout is amazingly high, which is great, but that also means a lot of ballots need counted. We're expecting a long night."
Carrie Phillips, the county's elections manager, said the hope is to have absentee votes posted online by 8:30 p.m.
Results will be posted for 10 precincts at a time rather than 20, so election watchers will receive updates more often throughout the night than in previous elections, Phillips said. The Press will be posting election updates throughout the night on cdapress.com.
All voters must go to their designated polling place today.
No party affiliation is required for today's election.
Voters who have moved, changed their names or are registering for the first time can register at the polls. Bring a photo identification such as a driver's license and proof you have lived here at least 30 days with documentation such as a utility bill.
Absentee ballots must be received at the county elections office, 1808 E. Third St., Coeur d'Alene, by 8 tonight.
On Monday, county elections officials performed a test of its DS850 ballot tabulators to ensure ballot count accuracy. The test, which was open to the public to observe, was a verification of the equipment and programming before the county begins actual ballot counting on election night.
"With all the allegations nationwide that some of the processes are rigged, we do a lot of testing," Brannon said.
County commissioner Marc Eberlein verified that the results tabulated from the machines matched the test deck of ballots from the secretary of state's office.
"It all matched," Eberlein said shortly after the verification process.
Kootenai County has been using the ballot scanners and tabulators since 2013 and was the first county in the state to use the machines, which reduce handling time by election workers.
Phillips said the test was one of three ways the county tests the ballot counting process.
"Testing, testing and more testing," she said.
The ballot includes candidates for president, Congress, Idaho Legislature, county commission, sheriff, county prosecutor, North Idaho College board and the Kootenai-Shoshone Soil and Water Conservation District. It also asks voters whether they want to retain magistrate judges.
There is also a state measure, House Joint Resolution (HJR) 5, that would amend the Constitution to ensure the Legislature can approve or reject agency rules and regulations without any veto power for the governor.
Sample ballots can be seen at http://www.kcgov.us/elections/sample/2016_General.
Voters with questions may call the county elections office at 446-1030.