Election Day is here

It's Election Day in North Idaho, and it's shaping up to be a big one. 

Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. New voters can register at the polls; they'll need a current photo ID and proof of residence. 

"I do expect we'll have lines at the polls, but hopefully we will have them spread out fairly evenly throughout the county, so things don't back up at the polling locations," said Kootenai County Elections Manager Asa Gray. 

County elections staff estimate a 70% voter turnout in the general election, about 10% higher than Kootenai County's turnout for the 2022 midterm elections. 

Almost 30,000 people have already voted in Kootenai County, according to elections staff. More than 11,500 people voted early and about 17,500 absentee ballots had made it back to the Elections Office as of Monday morning. 

Every Kootenai County voter has something to vote for during this election, including fire and school levies and local and statewide ballot questions.  

County-level races are all unopposed, as are the two nonpartisan North Idaho College trustee races on the ballot. All state legislative races are contested except for one. 

The two-sheet ballot means voters might take longer to fill out their choices than usual. 

"It will take them a little more time in the voting booth," Gray said. 

Voters who are unsure where to vote can use a tool on voteidaho.gov. Under the "voting" drop-down menu on the website, click "where to vote," then "find your polling location." 

Voters must vote at their designated polling places and cannot vote at the elections office today.  

It's too late to mail completed absentee ballots because any ballots received after 8 p.m. today won't be counted.  

Until 8 p.m., voters can hand-deliver completed absentee ballots to the elections office at 1808 N. Third St., Coeur d'Alene. 

Voters who requested but have not yet returned absentee ballots can also go to their polling place, tell a poll worker they want to surrender their absentee ballot, and vote in person instead. 

"They always have that option," Gray said. 

Expect early voting results to drop first tonight, potentially soon after polls close, followed by absentee votes. The next big update is unlikely to come before 9:30 p.m. 

"We're not going to have results by 10 p.m., that's for sure," Gray said.