Only in Idaho—I Hope

May 27, 2010



The Powers-that-Be in Idaho may hope for a large voter turnout, but they don’t make it easy. In four years I’ve been to five different polling places—sometimes two on the same day!

Depending on the referendum, you may vote at the library, a church, or a school. I confidently expected to vote on the school referendum (or was it the library referendum?) at the place I did my other local voting, but it was at a different spot (and a lot of people chose not to make a second trip). And they have a gazillion elections in a year! (OK, several.)

They don’t send out those little postcards telling you each time where your polling place is (the way they do in states where you keep your same polling place every year). You have to guess, or call City Hall or (if you’re voting after 5) the library.

(Under this system, the voters in Florida would never have had to worry about their hanging chads, because they wouldn't have been able to get to them!)

Some people have been urging election reform—i.e. give people a regular polling place, and vote for referenda on the same day that you vote for everything else. Naturally, the legislature won’t give in without a fight. Apparently they’re OK with spending money to set up several elections throughout the year. And with nobody being able to vote in them.

Ayyyeee!!!!