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Idaho Legislators Debate Election, Covid Liability Issues In Special Session

Idaho Public Television

UPDATED: 2:55 pm

The Idaho Senate today [Monday] approved a bill that adds an in-person voting center option to supplement neighborhood polling places on Election Day in November.

“What we would do is make it possible for any voter to go to any location to vote," said Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane, speaking during the first day of the Idaho special legislative session. He says voters sometimes get confused on Election Day. He used an example of someone in the city of Eagle who is looking for his polling place and sees several different “Vote here” signs.

"So what ends up happening is someone just goes to one they think might be right and then they get redirected to the next one. But we could eliminate that by just putting in Eagle a vote center where any voter from the area can go in and vote, whether that’s because they work there or they live there. We can add that convenience to voters," he said.

That bill was approved by the committee and then by the full Senate, 31-to-four.

The Senate later debated a second election-related bill. It would allow county elections offices more time to deal with an expected deluge of absentee ballots. That would give poll workers more time before Election Day to pull ballots from envelopes and get them ready for counting.

The legislature is also considering bills that would provide businesses and schools from some liability protection from Covid-related claims.