Mover's Guide: Idaho
Division of Elections: 208-334-2852
I moved from the address at which I am registered. What should I do?
I moved from another state.
If you moved to Idaho from another state, you must register to vote in Idaho to be able to vote.[1] You may register on Election Day by going to your local polling place and completing a registration card, making an oath, and providing proof of residence for where you live.[2] If you do not take advantage of election-day registration, the last day to register in time to vote in the next election is twenty-five days before the election.[3]
If you moved from out of state, you are only eligible to register if you have been a resident of Idaho and the county in which you wish to vote for at least thirty days prior to the day of the election in which you want to vote.[4] But under federal law, if you move within thirty days of a presidential election, you are allowed to vote for President and Vice President in your former state of residence, either in person or by absentee ballot.[5]
I moved within Idaho.
If you moved to a new address within the state, you should complete a new registration form to update your registration records.[6] That form is available here: http://www.idahovotes.gov/VoterReg/vtr_reg_form.pdf
The election is right around the corner and I never updated my registration from my previous address. What should I do?
Many registered Idaho voters who move are still entitled to cast a ballot that will be counted — even if they did not notify the appropriate election official about the move before Election Day.
Scenario One: Voters Who Have Moved Within Idaho and Have Lived in Their Current County for 30 days
If you moved to a new address, you should complete a new registration form to be able to vote.[7]
Idaho allows voters to register on Election Day.[8] To qualify, you must have lived in Idaho and in the county for 30 days prior to the election.[9]
To register on Election Day, you must show proof of residence along with a photo ID. Any of the following documents showing your current address in the precinct is sufficient:
- A valid Idaho driver’s license or Idaho identification card issued through the department of transportation
- Any document which contains a valid address in the precinct together with a picture identification card
- A current valid student identification card from a post secondary educational institution in Idaho accompanied with a current student fee statement that contains the student’s valid address in the precinct together with a picture identification card.[10]
You can register at the polling place for your new address or at an “absent electors’ polling place” set up by the county clerk.[11]
Scenario Two: Voters Who Have Moved Within Idaho and Have Lived in Their Current County for Less Than 30 Days
If you moved to a new address, you should complete a new registration form to be able to vote.[12]
If you moved to a different county within Idaho within 30 days prior to the election in which you wish to vote, you can vote by absentee ballot in your old county.[13]
You can apply for a mail-in absentee ballot until 5:00 PM on the sixth day before the election. You can apply for in-person absentee voting at the “absent electors’ polling place” until 5:00 PM on the day before the election.[14]
[1] Idaho Code Ann. § 34-404 (2010).
[2] Idaho Code Ann. § 34-408A.
[3] Idaho Code Ann. § 34-408(1).
[5] 42 U.S.C. § 1973aa-1(e) (2010).
[6] See Idaho Code Ann. § 34-413 (2010). See also Idaho Votes, Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Voter Registration, http://www.idahovotes.gov/VoterReg/REG_FAQ.HTM (last visited May 27, 2010).
[7] See Idaho Code Ann. § 34-413 (2010). See also Idaho Votes, Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Voter Registration, http://www.idahovotes.gov/VoterReg/REG_FAQ.HTM (last visited May 27, 2010).
[8] Idaho Code Ann. § 34-408A.
[10] Idaho Code Ann. § 34-408A.
[11] Idaho Code Ann. § 34-408A.
[12] See Idaho Code Ann. § 34-413 (2010). See also Idaho Votes, Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Voter Registration, http://www.idahovotes.gov/VoterReg/REG_FAQ.HTM (last visited May 27, 2010).
[13] Idaho Code Ann. § 34-413.
[14] Idaho Code Ann. § 34-1002.
