Why It Matters
Bannock County will undergo a state hand-count audit after county officials found 333 uncounted Election Day ballots in a sealed Pocatello precinct ballot box. The audit is required under Idaho law after every even-year primary and general election.
What Happened
The Idaho State Board of Canvassers randomly selected eight counties for post-election audits Friday at the Idaho State Capitol. The selected counties are Bannock, Caribou, Oneida, Latah, Gem, Adams, Benewah and Washington.
Secretary of State audit teams will manually count ballots from selected precincts and compare the results with each county’s official canvass. Bannock County’s audit is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the county elections office, 141 N. Sixth Ave. in Pocatello. The audit will be open to the public.
Secretary of State Phil McGrane said election confidence depends on publicly demonstrating how results are checked. Bannock County Elections Director Julie Hancock said chairs will be placed in front of the counting area for members of the public who attend.
The audit selection follows several counting issues in Bannock County. Machine problems delayed the county’s absentee-ballot count for more than five hours on election night, and workers completed the tally at about 8 a.m. the following morning.
On Tuesday, a sealed ballot box from Pocatello Precinct 2 was found in a poll worker’s pickup truck. The box held 333 ballots that had not been included in the initial count. The ballots matched the precinct’s electronic poll-book check-ins, and the seals were intact.
The additional ballots did not change the outcome of any race. Bannock County commissioners recanvassed the results Thursday and declared them official.
By the Numbers
- Eight: Idaho counties selected for the hand-count audits.
- 333: Uncounted Election Day ballots found in the Pocatello precinct box.
- 32,503: Ballots cast in Bannock County.
- About 65%: Bannock County turnout among 49,758 registered voters.
- More than five hours: Length of the absentee-ballot counting delay on election night.
Zoom Out
Caribou County’s audit is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Monday, while Oneida County’s audit is set for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Latah County also will be audited Monday after leaving 2,342 ballots out of its election-night results.
In Bannock County’s District 29 House Seat B, the original margin was 2,067 votes. After the additional ballots were counted, the margin narrowed to 2,024 votes.
What’s Next
State audit teams will conduct the hand count and compare their findings with the official canvass. Bannock County’s public audit will begin at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Pocatello elections office.
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