Residents who have already registered in the Rexburg election for mayor and city council can cast their ballots early, now until Nov. 4.
Those who still want to vote can register on election day, Nov. 7. Residents will need to bring a state-issued photo I.D. and a secondary proof of current residency, such as a phone bill or housing lease.
A student ID from BYU-Idaho or another school no longer counts as a photo ID, as of July 31. The Idaho Congress passed House Bill No. 340 earlier this year, requiring voters to bring an Idaho-issued photo ID, such as an Idaho driver’s license or free voter ID card.
An excerpt from the county's voter registration information flyer. Photo credit: Spencer Driggs
“(The new law) is just another way to make sure that we’re doing everything we can in Idaho to keep the election integrity,” said Brenda Stoor, the Madison County deputy election clerk. “We want every student that wants to vote, to vote.”
There’s still time to request a free voter ID or driver’s license from the Department of Motor Vehicles. However, Stoor cautions that it may take a week or more to process the request and mail the ID.
“If you want to vote, you’ll have to start now,” Stoor said.
On election day, the city is divided into 17 sections, and each person will vote in a different place. Find your precinct voting place here.
A ballot box outside the Madison County elections office. Photo credit: Spencer Driggs
A ballot box outside the Madison County elections office. Photo credit: Spencer Driggs
The fight for student ID
When the bill passed, two political organizations — Babe Vote and the League of Women Voters of Idaho — sued the state, claiming the bill discriminated against student voters. Judge Samuel Hoagland, of the Idaho 4th Judicial Court, struck down the lawsuit earlier this month.
“Plaintiffs seek to equate student identification cards as a form of age discrimination against younger voters, but not all young people are students, and not all students are young people,” Judge Hoagland wrote in the verdict. “The new laws are rationally related to their stated purpose to clarify and create uniformity by requiring only generally accepted, authentic, and reliable forms of identification as a reasonable condition to exercise the right of suffrage.”
The organizations await a response to their appeal to the Idaho Supreme Court.
VoteIdaho.gov's guide to the new voting requirements. Photo credit: Madison County
