2014 Election

ACHD Commission To Vote On Updated Plan For Boise ‘Smart’ Parking Meters

By • Feb 25, 2015
Jeff Kubina / Flickr Creative Commons

The Ada County Highway District (ACHD) is looking to resolve a year-and-a-half long dispute with the City of Boise. On Wednesday, the five member commission will vote on a revamped plan to allow the city to install high-tech parking meters on its sidewalks.

Supporters Of Oregon Food Labeling Measure Concede Defeat

By • Dec 11, 2014

Supporters of a food labeling measure in Oregon have conceded defeat, more than one month after the election.

North Idaho Republican Loses Again In Recount

By • Nov 26, 2014
Idaho Legislature

A Republican lawmaker from northern Idaho who was 26 votes short of keeping her seat gained only one vote on her Democratic opponent in a recount.

The Lewiston Tribune reports that state Rep. Thyra Stevenson had requested the recount because Nez Perce County experienced technical problems tabulating ballots on election night.

Idaho Records Its Lowest-Ever General Election Voter Turnout

By & • Nov 21, 2014
elections, voting, vote booth
Emilie Ritter Saunders / Boise State Public Radio

This story was updated Nov. 21, 2014 

Idaho's voter participation in this year's general election was the lowest ever.

Secretary of State Ben Ysursa tells the Spokesman Review that nearly 37 percent of Idaho's voting-age population cast a ballot Nov. 4.

Ysursa described the results as "abysmal," and urged the need to turn the number around.

Crapo, Risch Stand To Gain Influence When Republicans Take Control Of Senate

By Adam Cotterell • Nov 6, 2014
Adam Cotterell / Boise State Public Radio

Republicans will take control of the U.S. Senate in January. That could mean more influence for Idaho’s two Republican senators.

When a new party takes control, each of the Senate’s 20 committees and 68 subcommittees get a new leader. Sarah Binder studies Congress at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC. She describes it as a big round of musical chairs. Binder says heading a Congressional committee brings power.

Boise Voters Overwhelmingly Approve $17 Million Fire Dept. Bond

By Adam Cotterell • Nov 5, 2014
Adam Cotterell / Boise State Public Radio

Boise residents Tuesday approved by a wide margin a bond to build new fire stations. Seventy-six percent of voters said yes to borrowing $17 million over 10 years. The city plans to upgrade or replace four Boise fire stations and build a new training facility.

“That facility is very needed,” says Boise Fire Chief Dennis Doan. “We haven’t had a training facility in Boise that’s useable in over 20 years, at least. That’ll be a great safety feature for our fire fighters.”

Ybarra Wins Idaho Schools Chief Race By Fewer Than 6,000 Votes

By Emilie Ritter Saunders • Nov 5, 2014
Adam Cotterell / Boise State Public Radio

As expected, the closest statewide race of Idaho's 2014 election was for superintendent of public instruction. Unofficially, Republican Sherri Ybarra won with 50.7 percent of the vote to Democrat Jana Jones' 49.3 percent. Just 5,700 votes separated the two candidates.

Election Shows Idaho GOP's Wounds Healing, Democrats Still Struggling

By Scott Graf • Nov 5, 2014
A.J. Balukoff, 2014 Election, Democrats
Kyle Green / Idaho Statesman

Tuesday’s elections revealed two political parties headed in different directions in Idaho.

For the GOP, the sweep of statewide races was a step in healing wounds opened during a contentious summer. But Democrats’ optimism gave way to the stark reality that they continue to struggle for competitiveness in one of the reddest states in the country.

Washington Voters Approve Expanded Gun Background Checks

By • Nov 4, 2014

Washington voters have overwhelmingly approved a ballot measure to expand background checks for person-to-person gun sales and transfers.

Idaho's Gov. Otter Wins A Rare Third Term

By Emilie Ritter Saunders & • Nov 4, 2014
Adam Cotterell / Boise State Public Radio

This post was updated on Nov. 5 at 10:45 a.m.

Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter has won a rare third term leading the state.

Otter, now 72, has been a fixture of Idaho politics since he was first elected to the Idaho House of Representatives in 1973. Otter has been a legislator, a congressman and one of the state's longest-serving lieutenant governors. 

He was first elected governor of Idaho in 2006. This year, Otter faced a difficult race against his Democratic challenger, Boise businessman A.J. Balukoff.

Idaho Republicans Sweep Statewide Elections

By Scott Graf & • Nov 4, 2014
Adam Cotterell / Boise State Public Radio

This post was updated on Nov. 5 at 7:50 a.m.

Idaho Republicans have swept the state's top elected offices and seats in Congress. In addition to Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter being elected to a rare consecutive three-year term, every down-ticket race also went to Otter's Republican colleagues.

Secretary of State

Election Day Scam Attempts To Bribe Idaho Voters

By Emilie Ritter Saunders • Nov 4, 2014

Idaho's Attorney General Lawrence Wasden says a telephone scam offering potential voters $25 for their votes is being reported across the state this Election Day.

“Bribing someone for their vote is a crime,” Wasden said in a press release. “If anyone receives a call like this, I urge you not to engage the caller and to hang up the phone immediately.”

Wasden's office says the caller ID on these scam calls is 714-714-4000.

Your Last-Minute Guide To Voting In Idaho

By Adam Cotterell • Nov 4, 2014
Adam Cotterell / Boise State Public Radio

It's Election Day! Maybe you’ve been closely following the races and you know the issues and how you'll cast your ballot. But maybe you don’t actually know how or where or when to vote.

So, here are a few pieces of information to help you out.

Polls are open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.

5 Idaho Legislative Districts To Watch On Election Day

By • Nov 3, 2014
Samantha Wright / Boise State Public Radio

Idaho's legislative races are not very competitive, at least that's the opinion of Gary Moncrief, professor emeritus at Boise State University, who studies state legislatures.

While all 105 seats in the Legislature are up for grabs this year, Moncrief sees only five districts where the races could be close.

“In Idaho, usually somewhere between 40 and 50 percent of the seats are not contested,” says Moncrief.

6 Things You Told Us About Being An Idaho Democrat

By Adam Cotterell • Nov 3, 2014
Democrats, Donkey, Politics
DonkeyHotey / Flickr Creative Commons

We recently asked our Boise State Public Radio Facebook followers about what it's like to be an Idaho Democrat, and we got a big response.

Idaho GOP Bus Tour Stop May Have Violated Ethics Code

By • Oct 31, 2014

Republican candidates running for statewide and legislative offices stopped at a public charter school, where they were greeted by the student body, while traveling on a campaign bus tour.

The Spokesman-Review reports that the Oct. 24 visit raises questions over whether the stop violated Idaho's education ethics code. The code forbids schools from promoting political candidates or political activities.

Pictures of the event show campaign signs posted in front of Gooding's North Valley Academy Public Charter School.

Idaho Gubernatorial Candidates Square Off One Final Time Before Election Day

By Scott Graf & • Oct 31, 2014
Idaho Public Television

In their last meeting before Tuesday's election, three men running to be Idaho's governor wasted no time in taking shots at each other's policies and ideas. The debate, hosted by Idaho Public Television, featured incumbent Republican Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, Democrat A.J. Balukoff and Libertarian John Bujak.

Many Young People Don't Vote, We Explain Why This Young Idahoan Does

By • Oct 29, 2014
Samantha Wright / Boise State Public Radio

It’s no secret that young voters are less likely to vote than older voters. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in every presidential election since 1964, 18-to 24-year-olds voted at lower rates than all other age groups. In the last mid-term election, 21.3 percent of 18-to 24-year-olds voted. The number was almost three times higher for those 65 and over.

Idaho's GOP Governor Faces Two Hurdles: A Wealthy Democrat And Fed-Up Republicans

By • Oct 28, 2014
Emilie Ritter Saunders / Boise State Public Radio

A favorite joke in Idaho -- at least among Republicans -- is that Idaho's Democrats could hold their convention in a phone booth.

Republicans have held the Idaho governor's office for 20 years and are easily the state’s ruling party. But this year, Republican governor Butch Otter doesn't face the easy ride back to office you might expect.

Balukoff Puts Up $3.2 Million Into His Campaign For Idaho Governor

By • Oct 28, 2014
Adam Cotterell / Boise State Public Radio

A.J. Balukoff has said he’s committed to doing whatever it takes to unseat incumbent Gov. Butch Otter.

And we now know that includes putting more than $3.2 million into the race.

The latest round of campaign finance reports came in Tuesday — a snapshot covering the period from Oct. 1 to Oct. 19. In that time, the businessman, accountant and Boise School Board trustee contributed $995,000 to his campaign, bringing his total contributions for the year past the $2.7 million mark. Since Oct. 19, Balukoff has put an additional $545,000 into the race.

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