‘Polls are slammed’: Election officials report high turnout throughout east Idaho
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IDAHO FALLS — Voters are turning out in force for what may be one of the most consequential elections in recent history.
“It’s pretty polarizing in the nation right now, and it’s good for everybody to let their voice be heard,” said Idaho Falls voter Bodie May, who voted for Donald Trump. “I feel like the country needs leadership that’s going to help us focus on our country before others and take care of the people that live here, reside here, and make their lives here.”
Local voter Karen Schaefer said she is supporting Kamala Harris and appreciates her record as a prosecutor fighting against the cartels.
“As a vice president, she’s worked very hard. She had to be in the Congress voting on almost every issue because there was an equally divided Congress, and her vote made the difference,” Schaefer said.
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In Bonneville County, 32,024 people had voted as of 6 p.m., representing 45% of registered voters, with two hours to go until the polls close, said Bonneville County Elections Supervisor Helena Welling.
That’s in addition to the 20,495 individuals (32% of registered voters) who voted early or absentee.
In Madison County, hundreds of Brigham Young University-Idaho students are being turned away from the polls because they do not have an Idaho driver’s license, identification, or passport. In 2023, the Idaho Legislature passed a law removing student identification as an acceptable form of voter identification in the state.
“We have a lot of people that are upset about having to have an Idaho ID, or they can’t vote,” Madison County Clerk Kim Muir said.
In spite of the disenfranchised students, “Our polls are slammed,” Muir said.
Overall turnout numbers for Madison County will be released after the polls close.
Bingham County is also experiencing robust turnout with 12,057 election-day voters as of 6 p.m.
“It has been steady all day long at every precinct,” Bingham County Elections Director Danette Miller said. “Everywhere we’ve gone, it has been just a steady stream.”
In Shelley, 2,715 voters had cast ballots as of 6 p.m., and 433 had voted in Fort Hall, which Miller described as “really good.” Blackfoot also is experiencing high participation.
“We’re having to take more registration cards out to everywhere,” Miller said. “Same-day (registrations) are new voters, and it’s happening in just about all of our precincts.
In Bannock County, 23,743 people had voted as of 7:30 p.m., representing 44% of registered voters, said Bannock County Clerk Jason Dixon.
Combined with early and absentee voting, 76% of Bannock County voters have participated in the election, with results continuing to stream in for another hour. The county has also experienced a high number of same-day registrations.
“People have been good and kind, just wanting to get in and vote. There hasn’t been a lot of hate and discontent,” Dixon said. “It has been a good turnout.”