BOISE, Idaho — Tuesday is Election Day. Idahoans have come out strong for this election, with historic levels of early voting. Now that Election Day is here, folks are lining up at the polling places for their opportunity to cast their vote for the 47th President of the United States as well as ballot issues in the Gem State.
But at what time are election results expected in Idaho?
The first batch of results will typically be posted in the hour after polls close statewide, which is actually at 9 p.m. in southern Idaho.
Polls in southern Idaho close at 8 p.m. MST. However, the northern panhandle of the state is in Pacific Standard Time, closing their polls an hour after southern Idaho.
Results will then be released in batches as they are counted by each county.
Most races in Idaho will likely be decided on election night, but it's possible the vote will be close enough that the winner won't be determined until Wednesday or later.
Also, though polls close at 8 p.m., if you are in line before 8 p.m., and haven't voted yet, you will still get a chance to vote. You do have to be in line before the 8 p.m. deadline.
In Idaho, absentee ballots must be received by county officials by 8 p.m. on Election Day, which allows them to be counted at the same time as other ballots casted on Election Day. Idaho's deadline helps the state tally votes quickly, but the election results of the President may take a bit longer.
Some states allow for mail-in ballots to be postmarked on Election Day, meaning they don't get counted for several days after the election.
On the Secretary of State's website, it states that Idaho results will not be posted until after the polls close for the whole state, so no earlier than 9 p.m. MST.
