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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Time to vote…

Polls were busy in Boise on Tuesday morning (Betsy Russell)
Polls were busy in Boise on Tuesday morning (Betsy Russell)

There was a half-hour wait to vote at my polling place this morning; one guy ahead of me in line gave up and left. A young mom with first-grader in tow waited all the way through the line, only to find out she wasn't in the book, though this was where she'd always voted; after much scrutinizing of maps, she was sent to a different polling place. There's high interest in today's election; many people's polling places have changed due to redistricting (mine had). You can confirm your polling place online before you go by going to www.idahovotes.gov and entering your address.

Lines are likely today if you go during the busiest times - before work, during the noon hour, or after 5, so allow time. (Oddly, at my polling place, the line was much longer for those whose names begin with A though L - I was one of the lucky M-through-Z'ers). And the ballot itself is quite long - two full legal-sized pages, front and back.

Gary Moncrief, a Boise State University political scientist who studies elections, said, "Turnout is going to be huge." Asked his advice to voters, Moncrief said, "Bring a lunch - bring a snack. You may be in line a long time."
 



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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