Shoshone Clerk clarifies voting options for Nov. 3 election

COVID-19 continues to impact our nation and Shoshone County is no exception.

Our elections staff has been adjusting our processes to ensure everyone can safely cast their votes in the Nov. 3 election and limit the exposure of the virus to our citizens and poll workers.

Shoshone County will allow for both in-person voting at the polls, as well as absentee voting like what was done for the May Primary. There are changes though for safety reasons.

The following precincts will be relocated for the Nov. 3 election:

• Murray Precinct will be moved from the Murray Road Department Office to the County Courthouse, Recorders Office, 700 Bank St., Ste 120, Wallace.

• Silverton Precinct will be moved from the Good Samaritan Home in Silverton and will co-locate with the Wallace Precinct at the Congregational Church, 408 Cedar St., Wallace.

Additional changes have been made to facilitate the in-person voting at the polls. Separate entrance and exit locations will be marked at each polling location.

When precincts have been co-located, voters will still need to process through their designated precinct desks.

Social distancing of 6 feet between voters will be required. Due to the limited size of the polling locations, voters may be required to stand in lines outside the building until they can safely self-distance inside the polling location. There will not be additional shelters outside.

There will be less poll workers staffing the polling locations due to new electronic voting equipment that is being deployed.

Poll workers and all voters will be required to wear masks when inside the polling locations. Plexiglass screens will be placed on all registration tables to separate the poll workers and voters.

Electronic poll books will be used to speed up the registration process and further limit direct contact between poll workers and voters.

Express voting machines will be in place for special needs voting, as well as electronic voting capabilities.

I encourage all voters to consider requesting an absentee ballot for the Nov. 3 election. If you requested an absentee ballot for the May election, you may have also requested one at the same time for the November election.

If you are unsure, you can look up your voter registration status on the www.idahovotes.gov website. If you do not have access to the website and are not sure, please contact the County Clerk’s office at 208-752-1264.

Absentee ballot requests must be received by the County Clerk no later than Oct. 23 to ensure you receive your ballot in time to vote.

Once we receive the absentee ballot request form, we will verify that the voter information in our elections software program is complete and we will mail the voter the requested ballot in the mail, including the envelops to return it to us. We must receive it back no later than Nov. 3.

Whether you cast your vote in-person or via absentee voting, please cast your vote in the November election. Thank you for your help in keeping us all well. We look forward to seeing all of you once this crisis is over. Stay home and stay healthy.

• • •

Tamie Lewis-Eberhard is the Shoshone County clerk.