Absentee voting on the rise

Requests for absentee ballots are climbing since the pandemic, indicating voters prefer alternatives to lining up in person on election day.

“I just vote because it’s your responsibility,” said Nathan Sheets, a military veteran and real estate agent in Coeur d’Alene.

When he was in the military, Sheets voted absentee, but not so here.

“If you're able bodied you should go,” he said. “I always try to go in person, that way you know your vote is being counted.”

To vote in the Nov. 8 general election, the registration deadline of Oct. 14 is approaching fast, although Idaho voters can register in person at the polls on Election Day.

While turnout in the primaries tends to dip, general elections have shown strong participation over the last four years.

Voter turnout in Kootenai County jumped nine percentage points to 87% from the 2018 to 2020 general elections, according to data from the Idaho Secretary of State's website.

In the 2022 primary election, Kootenai County received 6,015 absentee ballots representing 5.7% of the total votes. The absentee ballot requests received to date represent a 5% increase over the 2018 general election, indicating a trend of more people moving toward the mail-in system.

“I plan to vote absentee because it allows me to get my vote without having to deal with any abject poll workers that are promoting their agenda,” said Ralph Shay, of Coeur d'Alene. “It makes it easier. I don’t have to be around Tuesday, Nov. 8.”

The final day to request an absentee ballot by mail is Oct. 28 at 5 p.m.

“I used to live in Washington where they had required mail-in voting, and I didn’t feel good about that,” Sheets said. "You never know what will fall off the back of a mail truck.”

Over 8,900 people registered to vote in the May primary in Kootenai County, which was the largest increase in pre-election voter registrations since the highly politicized 2020 general election. An additional 2,784 people have registered since then, totaling a 2.5% increase from the previous general election. Same-day registrations will still have to be tallied for a complete picture.

Nationally there have been indications that women voter registrations have increased since the Dobbs decision in June, which overturned Roe v. Wade, according to studies by TargetSmart, and the New York Times. Asa Gray of the Kootenai County Elections Department said they have no way of tracking increases in registered voters by gender, so it’s unclear yet whether more local women are registering to vote.

Because registration is still open, there is time to verify registration status, register or request an absentee ballot at the Kootenai County Elections Department or online at kcgov.us.

“Being present and being active in the community is the most important thing I know how to do,” said Shay.