With the midterm election less than two weeks away, many Idaho voters are casting their ballots early. So far, the turnout is much higher than previous elections.
Phil McGrane is the Chief Deputy Ada County Clerk. He says a lot of people have voted early in part because of the open seat for governor and more awareness of the midterms in general.
"Voter turnout so far has been noticeably high. It’s been more like a presidential election in comparison to a gubernatorial election," he says.
McGrane says he expects around 70 percent of eligible voters in Ada County will show up to the polls by Election Day on Nov. 6. In the 2014 midterm election, just over half of people there voted.
Earlier this year, Idaho had its biggest turnout in 16 years for the May primary.
As of Monday, McGrane’s office had received more ballots than the entirety of the 2014 midterm. He says that’s because they’ve pushed early voting.
"We encourage everyone to make a plan for when they’re going to vote, whether they’re going to vote on election day or beforehand," he says. "Early voting is a great opportunity to make it more easily fit in your schedule."
Many Idaho counties are currently open for early voting. You can find more information about your county online at idahovotes.gov. The last day to vote early in Idaho is Nov. 2.
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