Idaho's second primary election will be held Tuesday, May 17th. Polling locations will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Many primaries in Southwest Idaho are not contested and party members will only have one candidate to choose from. Every state legislative seat is up for re-election, as well as both Congressional seats and the Senate seat currently filled by Sen. Mike Crapo, running unopposed in the primary.
Other notable races include the non-partisan race to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court, a recall of two trustees on the West Ada School District Board, two commissioner races in Ada County, and the Canyon County Sheriff's race.
For a list of where to find your polling location and get more information on the candidates check below:
Ada County polling location finder
Canyon County polling location finder
BOND ISSUES AND LEVIES
It’s going to be a busy school election day across much of the state, with more than $79 million in bond issues and supplemental levies on the ballot.
Here’s the rundown:
Kimberly: Two questions are on Tuesday’s ballot. A $14 million bond issue would build a new elementary school and renovate the existing elementary school. Voters will also decide the fate of a 10-year, $3 million plant facilities levy.
Potlatch: A $14.78 million bond issue. The district wants to build a new junior-senior high school.
American Falls: Voters will decide on two bond issues. One, at $12.5 million, would go toward a new elementary school and other projects. A second, $1.6 million bond issue would go for a new high school gymnasium.
Aberdeen: An $11.85 million bond issue to replace the high school.
Mountain Home: Renewal of a two-year, $5.4 million supplemental levy.
Caldwell: A two-year, $5 million supplemental levy. The money would go toward career-technical education and extracurricular programs.
Dietrich: A $2.5 million bond issue to build a new elementary school.
Wendell: A two-year, $1.2 million supplemental levy.
Shelley: A two-year, $1.15 million supplemental levy.
Troy: Renewal of a one-year, $995,000 supplemental levy. In 2015, the supplemental levy issue divided this Latah County bedroom community; voters finally approved a $995,000 levy in August.
Whitepine: A one-year, $850,000 supplemental levy.
Valley: A two-year, $600,000 supplemental levy.
Salmon River: A one-year, $545,000 supplemental levy.
Wilder: A two-year, $500,000 supplemental levy.
Highland: A one-year, $499,000 supplemental levy.
Nezperce: A one-year, $475,000 supplemental levy.
Richfield: A two-year, $450,000 supplemental levy.
Rockland: A two-year, $420,000 supplemental levy.
Cottonwood: A one-year, $350,000 supplemental levy.
Firth: A two-year, $260,000 supplemental levy.
Cambridge: A two-year, $160,000 supplemental levy.
Arbon: A two-year, $50,000 supplemental levy.
THE RECALLS …
In the state’s largest school district, a year of discontent will finally reach the ballot box.
West Ada district voters will decide whether to keep or recall two trustees — board chair Tina Dean and board member Carol Sayles.
West Ada Board Meeting2 2-23There has already been considerable turnover in West Ada. Superintendent Linda Clark resigned in October, after months of public disputes with the school board. Trustees Russell Joki and Julie Madsen, elected in 2015, resigned earlier this year, under the cloud of a recall.
Even with Joki and Madsen off the board, recall organizers are continuing to press their case against Dean and Sayles. Recall supporters have picked up support from the Meridian Chamber of Commerce — and, on Tuesday, the Boise Regional Realtors endorsed the recalls. Idahoans for Local Education — a group that has devoted most of its focus to fighting the Idaho Core Standards — came out against the recalls this week, calling the campaign an assault on local control.
Ultimately, the decision will rest with a relatively small number of voters, patrons who live in the two trustees’ zones. It will take a majority vote to recall the trustees. Also, the votes for recall must exceed the number of votes the trustees received in their 2013 elections; Dean received 185 votes, Sayles received 339 votes.
For more voting information, visit 6 On Your Side's media partner, Idaho Education News.
