Election Center
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Otter retains office; Ybarra holds slim lead
BOISE – Idaho GOP Gov. Butch Otter won a rare third term Tuesday over Democratic challenger A.J. Balukoff after a hard-fought race, while the race for state superintendent of schools was too close to call at press time. First-time Republican candidate Sherri Ybarra narrowly led Democrat Jana Jones, a former chief deputy state superintendent, in early returns in the superintendent’s race, the state’s closest race.
Kootenai County voters give GOP wins
Kootenai County voters mostly backed Republicans down the ballot today, continuing a long trend of support for conservative candidates.
Low voter turnout expected in Washington, Idaho, despite high stakes
Control of the U.S. Senate may be the chief concern of national political experts Tuesday, but Washington voters won’t play any part in that decision. Because of that, many may skip voting entirely. State voters will decide issues closer to home on guns and schools, which party controls the state Senate, who runs the counties or occupies the court benches. Spokane voters will also decide whether to spend more tax money on streets and parks.
Eye on Boise: Decline in voting has Idaho secretary of state ‘troubled’
Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa is predicting a 58 percent turnout in Tuesday’s general election – that’s 58 percent of registered voters, and is equal to roughly 39 to 40 percent of Idaho’s voting-age population. “It’s not something to write home about,” he said. “I am disturbed, troubled and concerned about the decline in voter participation.”