Idaho voter registration
- In Person: 25 days before Election Day. If you miss this deadline, you may also register during early voting or on Election Day.
- By Mail: Postmarked 25 days before Election Day. If you miss this deadline, you may also register during early voting or on Election Day.
- Online: 25 days before Election Day. If you miss this deadline, you may also register during early voting or on Election Day.
If you have missed the voter registration deadline, you can still register to vote and a cast a ballot at the same time during early voting (if your county conducts early voting) or on Election Day. Simply go to your regular polling place or early voting site to register and vote. You will need to show proof of residence and a photo ID. Contact your Local Election Office if you have any questions.
To register in Idaho you must:
- Be at least 18 years old;
- Be a citizen of the United States;
- Have resided in Idaho and in the county for 30 days prior to the date of election;
- Not be serving a sentence of imprisonment for a felony. Your voting rights are restored once you have completed your sentence, probation, and parole.
- Use our Register to Vote Tool to fill out the National Voter Registration Form.
- Sign and date your form. This is very important!
- Mail or hand-deliver your completed form to the address we provide.
- Make sure you register before the voter registration deadline.
- If you have been convicted of a felony and have questions about whether you can register to vote, visit Restore Your Vote to determine your eligibility.
Idaho absentee ballots
- In Person: Received by 5pm on the Friday before Election Day.
- By Mail: Received by 5pm 11 days before Election Day.
- Online: Received by 5pm 11 days before Election Day.
- Received by 8pm on Election Day.
Any registered Idaho voter may apply for an absentee ballot and vote by mail.
- Use our Absentee Ballot Tool to prepare your application.
- Sign and date the form. This is very important!
- Return your completed application to your Local Election Office as soon as possible. We'll provide the mailing address for you.
- All Local Election Offices will accept mailed or hand-delivered forms. If it's close to the deadline, call and see if your Local Election Office will let you fax or email the application.
- Double-check the deadlines and be sure to cast your voted ballot on time to be sure it is counted.
- Please contact your Local Election Office if you have any further questions about the exact process.
- Once you receive the ballot, carefully read and follow the instructions.
- Sign and date where indicated.
- Mail your voted ballot back to the address indicated on the return envelope.
- Double-check the deadlines and be sure to cast your voted ballot on time to be sure it is counted.
Idaho Early Voting
Not all counties allow early voting. For those that do, early voting begins the third Monday before Election Day. Voters should contact their county elections office for additional information.
Not all counties allow early voting. For those that do, early voting ends at 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before Election Day. Voters should contact their county elections office for additional information.
Idaho voter ID
If you are voting in person in Idaho (including during early voting), you must present one of the following forms of ID at the time you vote:
- Idaho driver's license or ID card issued by the Idaho transportation department
- US passport or federal photo ID
- Tribal photo ID
- Idaho license to carry concealed weapons
If you don't have ID, you can still cast a ballot by signing an affidavit at the polling place swearing to your identity and address.
If you've voted in Idaho before or provided ID at the time of registration or on your absentee request form, you don't need to provide ID to vote by absentee. Starting in 2023, all new voter registrations will need to provide an approved proof of residence document in order to complete the registration process. A new voter will be unable to request an absentee ballot until this requirement is satisfied.
If you don't have ID, you can still cast a ballot by signing an affidavit at the polling place swearing to your identity and address.
Offsite links
- State Election Website
- Local Election Office: This is the government office responsible for running elections in your region. These are the best people to contact if you have any questions at all about voting in your state.
- Find your polling place
- Absentee ballot tracker tool
- Learn more about absentee voting
- Learn more about voter ID
- State Election Code