Idaho Voter Registration 2023 Guide

New legislation from the Idaho Legislature has changed the work we need to do to register voters in Idaho.

This is a simple guide to walk you through all the processes you might need to register yourself, or another person to vote.

1) Proof of ID

You need to obtain one of the following picture IDs to vote in Idaho. If you are registering online or with a paper form, mailed or brought in to the County Elections Office by another person, ONLY COMPLETE ID’s will automatically get your application to a “Complete” status. Otherwise, your registration will be flagged as “Incomplete”. 

With an Incomplete Voter Registration, you will not be able to request an absentee ballot, or sign a petition, and you will not be able to vote unless you bring Proof of ID and Proof of Residence with you to the polls, or otherwise complete your registration beforehand. 

2) Proof of Residence

If your above ID matches your current address, then it is the only document you will need to vote. However, if it does not match, you need to bring an additional document that proves your current address. That list is shown below.

• Lease, Rental Agreement, Deed of trust, or mortgage
• A utility bill, excluding a cellular telephone bill
• Enrollment papers issued for the current school year by a high school, or an accredited institution of higher education located within the state of Idaho.
• Current proof of insurance
• A property tax assessment, bill, or receipt
• A bank or credit card statement
• A paystub, paycheck, or government-issued check
• An intake document from a residential care or assisted living facility
• A communication on letterhead from a public or private social service agency registered with the secretary of state verifying the applicant is homeless and attesting to the applicant’s residence for registration purposes.

3) Incomplete voter registration

The change that has made the most impact to voter registration is the new “flagged” voter registration status. If your voter registration is not complete, the County Elections Office is responsible for notifying you and providing you with information on how to complete the registration. 

The steps to complete the voter registration before Election Day are simple.

Show your proof of ID and proof of Residence to the County Elections Office. This can be done via email at elections@adacounty.id.gov or by going into the County Elections Office in person (400 N Benjamin Lane in Ada County). 

Or, you can simply bring these documents with you to the polls during Early Voting or Election Day voting.

REMEMBER: you will not have the ability to vote absentee or sign petitions until you have completed these steps.

OTHER OPTIONS

Affidavit

If you are unable to show your ID on election day, you may sign an Affidavit instead. However, this option is now only available to those whose voter registrations are complete, which now requires a photo ID anyway.

Student ID

Though it is not listed above, Student IDs are still a viable ID option through the end of 2023.