BOISE, Idaho — One-hundred feet. That’s the closest anyone can get to a polling place in Idaho if they are campaigning or collecting signatures for a campaign.
Maybe while you were voting today you saw someone holding an election sign or asking for signatures and you wondered if they are permitted to do that.
If you saw someone gathering signatures, they were likely volunteers from Reclaim Idaho, the grassroots campaign credited with getting Medicaid expansion on last year’s ballot.
Now, they are collecting signatures for their “Invest in Idaho” initiative, which they say would generate millions of dollars for Idaho schools by increasing taxes on corporations and the wealthy in Idaho.
But because that initiative isn't on this year's ballot -- are they technically breaking any rules?
"Voters may be surprised, 100 feet is actually not that far, so as you show up to a poll, you may see someplace. In some instances, there may be additional restrictions, so for example, if we're voting in an elementary school, the school district may ask people to be further than that or not be on premises. That's up to each location," said Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane.
Those volunteers can gather signatures at polling locations as long as they are at least 100 feet away.