In the two weeks leading up to election day, Ada County residents can cast their ballot at early voting locations, including at the mobile voting center.
On its first day, the mobile voting unit parked in front of the Garden City Library and helped 150 residents cast their vote.
The voting center is in fewer locations this year as more permanent polling places are open. The unit targets areas near Kuna, Star and Meridian where people have the furthest to travel to vote.
Trent Tripple, Ada County’s Deputy Clerk, says the goal of early voting, beyond convenience, is to alleviate the number of voters and waiting time on Election Day.
“People see the van and the truck that's pulling it and all the signs and big posters that we have associated with it, they're like, 'Oh, yeah, I've got to remember to vote,'” he said.
“One of the things that we started doing was targeting locations where there was a large number of people that were working,” Triple said. "We catch people that were driving by that otherwise might not vote in person or might not vote at all,” he added.
Tripple said it’s hard to measure if the unit affects turnout, but the mobile center has led to a slight increase in voter registration.
“Despite some of the national narrative and even some of the local narratives, if you want to vote here in Ada County, you can.”
Early voting ends on Friday, Nov. 4 and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov 8.
