Hayes: Absentee Count Later

Dan of the Community: I did ask Cliff when he thought the first results might come out (I remember how often I got asked that myself) and he said he is telling people around 9:20. As I understand it they will likely not have the absentee results until at the end of the precinct counting like at the last election. I do know that the ballots from some of the local precincts can start coming even before 8:30. But then they have to be logged in, processed, counted, and partial results tallied before anything gets out to the web site.

DFO: Cliff Hayes just told HucksOnline that no absentee ballots will be opened before 8 o’clock in observance of Idaho law. He has received 2000 absentee ballots. He figures it’ll take his staff 45 minutes to an hour to open the absentees — and hopes to have them counted by 9:45 -10 p.m. Results of first precincts will begin rolling in around 8:30 p.m.

Question: Will absentee ballots decide the Coeur d’Alene & Post Falls elections?