Anyone who has recently moved to Idaho from Washington, Oregon, California, or Nevada and has not officially cancelled their voter registration in that state would be advised to do so quickly.
In each of the states mentioned, ballots are mailed out to all registered voters regardless of whether one was requested. If a person has moved from one of those states but has not cancelled their voter registration, a ballot for the November 5 election will be mailed to the voter’s last known address.
This opens wide the door for an unethical person to cast a vote using a fraudulent ballot, and it also creates the possibility that the voter whose name is on that ballot could be charged with a crime.
Under Idaho Code, Title 18, Chapter 23, Section 18-2306, it is a felony to vote in two states for the same election, with prison and/or fines being the penalty. It is unlikely one would be jailed or fined if one could prove that someone else cast a vote using one’s ballot in a different state, but proving that could be difficult, costly, and time consuming.
For those who’ve recently moved to Idaho from of the four mentioned states, here are some helpful links:
For residents who moved from Washington, here is a link to the Washington State Voter Registration Cancellation Form.
In Oregon, voter registration is managed at the county level. Here are links for Clackamas County, Multnomah County, and Marion County. For all other counties, voters can request a voter cancellation form via the county elections office in which the voter was registered.
For California, here is a link to the California Voter Registration Cancellation Form
NOTE: Former residents of Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, or San Francisco County may be required to complete a specific cancellation application. Check with the election office or county clerk in those counties for specific requirements.
In Nevada, voter registration is managed at the county level. Voters should contact the election office in the county where the voter was last registered. A list of county election officials can be found on the Nevada Secretary of State’s website.
Voters from the aforementioned states should know it is not enough simply register to vote in Idaho. Due to automatic ballot mailout policies, voters previously registered in one of the listed states need to cancel those registrations or run the risk that a ballot will be cast in their name without their knowledge.
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