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Impact of federal election reform in Idaho
[updated March 2004]
New Election Administration Requirements
- By 2003, a first time voter who registers by mail is required to provide
a copy of photo identification or a number of other pieces of identification.
- By 2004, election officials will be posting voting information
at the polling locations including: sample ballots, dates and times of elections,
instructions on voting, instructions for voters who register to vote by mail
and who are voting for the first time, and voters’ rights.
- By 2004, individuals registering to vote must provide an Idaho drivers
license number or the last four digits of their social security number if
they do not have a drivers license. Individuals who do not have either are
assigned a unique identification number. Election officials must check either
the drivers license or social security number against numbers in existing
databases.
- By 2004, mail-in registration forms must include check boxes including the questions, "Are you a citizen of the United States of America?" and, "Will you be 18 years of age of age by election day." Included with the questions shall be the following statement: "If you check "no" in response to either of these, do not complete the form."
- By 2006, a computerized statewide voter registration list must be adopted that is a uniform, official, centralized, interactive system administered by the state and which contains the record of every individual legally registered to vote.
- By 2006, voting systems in Federal Elections must provide voters the ability
to review their ballot, be able to produce a permanent paper record with a
manual audit capacity, provide accessibility for voters with disabilities,
and must not exceed specified error rates.
- To receive funding under this act, the state adopted a plan with the
advice and assistance of a committee of local election officials and citizens
appointed by the Idaho Secretary of State.
- Idaho was required to establish administrative complaint procedures to
address alleged violations of Title III of the Help America Vote Act and
to make determinations on any grievances within three months of the complaint
filing. The state is required to provide a remedy or dismiss the complaint
and publish their results.
- To receive funding under this act, the state must certify the following:
that it has a state plan; it has a plan for establishing administrative complaint
procedures; it is in compliance with existing federal law; that funds are
sufficient and will not be used for purposes inconsistent with the act, and
a 5% match has been appropriated by the state or local entities.
- The Idaho Secretary of State's Office has been designated as the
office providing information about registration and absentee ballots to overseas
and uniformed voters. Further, local jurisdictions must report the number
of military and overseas ballots sent and the number returned for all federal
elections.
The state is required to submit reports on the activities conducted
and equipment purchased with each grant.
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