A
A MEMORABLE 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION. YOU CAN FIND ALL THE
RESULTS RIGHT NOW AT
KTVB DOT COM.
THE RESULTS THIS TIME
AROUND THOUGH WERE
ALMOST A SECONDARY
STORY
STORY TO
STORY TO HOW THE ELECTION RAN. FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER,
IDAHO DID THE WHOLE
ELECTION BY MAIL.
NOW THAT IT'S SAID AND
DONE, HOW DID IT GO?
ARE CLERKS READY TO
RUN IT THE SAME WAY
FOR THE MUCH
ANTICIPATED NOVEMBER
ELECTION?
JOE PARRIS REPORTS
"CERTAINLY WE ARE
HAPPY TO HAVE THIS
ELECTION BEHIND US
BECAUSE IT'S BEEN MORE
OF A MARATHON THAN
MOST ELECTIONS HAVE
BEEN IN THE PAST."
THE 2020 IDAHO MAY
PRIMARY WILL FOREVER
BE REMEMBERED AS, THE
ONE WE DID THROUGH
THE MAIL.
SO, HOW DID THAT NEW
PROCESS GO?
"IT WAS A LONG NIGHT,
LONGER THAN WE'VE HAD
IN QUITE SOME TIME. WE
FINISHED THE NIGHT AT
ABOUT 4:30 AM, THAT'S
WHEN WE GOT THE
RESULTS POSTED."
ADA COUNTY CLERK PHIL
MCGRANE SAYS WHILE
THINGS ENDED UP
WORKING OUT NICELY,
THE ROAD THROUGH THE
PRIMARY HAD PLENTY OF
CHALLENGES.
"WE GOT ABOUT, WHAT I
WOULD SAY, TWO DAYS
NOTICE TO SWITCH FROM
OUR TRADITIONAL
POLLING PLACE ELECTION
TO DOING AN ALL MAIL
ELECTION AND THAT'S
REALLY WHERE IT HURT
US. WE ARE NOT BUILT, WE
DO NOT HAVE THE
INFRASTRUCTURE TO RUN
AN
AN ELECTION THIS WAY AND PART OF THE TIME IT TOOK LAST NIGHT IS A
REFLECTION OF US NOT
HAVING WHAT WE NEED
TO BE ABLE TO DO IT IN
THIS MANNER."
THE GOOD NEWS AT THE
CLERK'S OFFICE IS
HISTORIC TURNOUT.
VOTERS SUBMITTED JUST
UNDER 96,000 BALLOTS,
BEATING THE PREVIOUS
RECORD OF 79,000.
MCGRANE SAYS HE
ALWAYS LOVES TO SEE
HIGH TURNOUT, HE
BELIEVES THE STATE
MARKETING THE PRIMARY
LIKE NEVER BEFORE
REALLY HELPED.
"THE SECRETARY OF
STATES OFFICE SENT AN
ABSENTE
ABSENTE REQUEST TO EVERY REGISTERED VOTER. NORMALLY YOU DON'T
SEE THE STATE PUT SO
EVERY
EVERY REGISTERED VOTER. NORMALLY YOU DON'T SEE THE STATE PUT SO
MUCH MONEY AND
ENERGY INTO INFORMING
PEOPLE THERE IS AN
ELECTION, AND MAKING IT
EASY TO DO IT."
TO CUT DOWN ON THE
WORK LOAD ON ELECTION
NIGHT,ADA COUNTY STAFF
WORKED ALL DAY
MONDAY AND TUESDAY
PROCESSING BALLOTS.
BUT, THE LAST MINUTE
BALLOT SUBMISSIONS
ADDED A LOT OF WORK.
"IT WAS THAT FINAL
STRETCH, IT WAS ALL OF
THOSE BALLOTS WE
RECEIVED ON THE FINAL
DAY BECAUSE THEY CAME
IN AT THE LAST MINUTE."
"IT
"IT WAS
"IT WAS REALLY A SURGE OF RESULTS AND THEN IT TOOK HOURS AND HOURS
TO GET THOSE LAST
16,000 DONE."
IT'S UNCLEAR EXACTLY
WHAT THE NOVEMBER
GENERAL ELECTION WILL
LOOK LIKE, BUT MCGRANE
SAYS THEY ARE ALREADY
THINKING AHEAD TO
SPECIFICS.
"I DOUBT THAT
NOVEMBER IS GOING TO
BE AN ALL-MAIL ELECTION
IN IDAHO. I THINK THERE
WAS SOME RESISTANCE
INITIALLY TO DOING IT. WE
WILL SEE WHAT THE
PANDEMIC LOOKS LIKE AT
THAT POINT AND THAT
MIGHT OBVIOUSLY DRIVE
DECISIONS, BUT I DO
THINK IT WILL BE SOME
HYBRID."
ALREADY, 70,000 PEOPLE
IN ADA COUNTY HAVE
REQUESTED AN ABSENTEE
BALLOT FOR NOVEMBER
IN TERMS OF CHANGES
THE CLERK'S OFFICE
WANTS TO MAKE BEFORE
NOVEMBER MCGRANE
SAYS THAT OVER THE
SUMMER, THEIR OFFICE IS
LOOKING TO IMPROVE
THEIR PROCESSES AND
EVALUATE EQUIPMENT
NEEDS.
"WE ISSUED BALLOTS
THAT HAD SOME ERRORS
AND WE HAD TO CORRECT
THOSE, AND WE GOT NEW
BALLOTS TO ALL THE
VOTERS."
"WE CERTAINLY FELT THE
PAIN IN THIS ELECTION IN
TERMS OF NEEDING TO
TIGHTEN THOSE THINGS
UP SO THAT IT WILL GO
MUCH MORE CLEANLY."
OVERALL, MCGRANE SAYS
IT WAS A VALUABLE
EXPERIENCE TO SETUP THE
FUTURE OF VOTING.
"THIS PRIMARY WAS
REALLY A GOOD TEST FOR
KIND OF THE BIG SHOW
WHEN IT COMES TO
NOVEMBER."
ADA COUNTY, IDAHO'S
MOST POPULATED
COUNTY, CLEARLY RAN
INTO ISSUES OF
PROCESSING JUST THE
PURE VOLUME OF
BALLOTS.
WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE IN
OTHER COUNTIES?
OTHER COUNTIES?