Idaho officials prepared for the election

BOISE, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Election day is tomorrow, and Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane is working to ensure the election process is safe and secure.

In September, McGrane, along with all of Idaho’s county clerks, signed a pledge promising to ensure that voting in Idaho would be easy and secure.

Over the past few months, the clerks have been testing election equipment to ensure its proper and accurate operation.

To prevent any kind of cyber-attack, the legislature ensured that no tabulation systems were linked to the Internet.

Certain safeguards will be in place regarding voting security at the polls.

“Some of the practices are as simple as checking ID when someone registers to vote or checking ID when someone votes,” McGrane said. “Most voters will see when they head to the polls, they’ll actually have the bar code on their driver’s license scanned as part of that check in process. That’s both speeding the process up but also validating that the person who is voting is who they say they are.”

Out-of-state identification will not be accepted.

Voters will also get a paper record of their vote. Election officials will compare signatures on absentee ballots with voter registration and driver’s license records.

McGrane said it is all part of the steps his office has taken this election.

“Validating signatures on absentees that come in really making sure that we are maintaining the voter rolls. That means removing people when they die, ensuring felons are not registered, ensuring there’s no non-citizens participating in our elections. These are all efforts we have underway.”

Over the summer, the secretary of state’s office also worked with Homeland Security to validate Idaho’s voter rolls as a proactive measure.

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