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Bill limiting early voting dies in Idaho Senate

Posted at 12:39 PM, Mar 15, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-15 14:39:59-04

An Idaho Senate panel has killed a measure that would have limited early voting throughout the state.

Republican Rep. Dustin Manwaring, the bill's sponsor, argued Wednesday that Idaho currently lacks a standardized system for early voting. However, members on the Senate State Affairs Committee countered that the bill took local control away from county clerks -- and there wasn't a pending need for the change.

Currently, county clerks have the choice to begin early voting on or before the third week from the election. This has resulted in a hodgepodge of early voting start dates across the state, with the majority of smaller counties choosing not to open the polls early to save on costs.

(by Associated Press)