Here’s how your ballot is processed on Election Day in Idaho — and when we’ll know results

As Idaho voters head to the polls Tuesday, you may be wondering how votes are counted and when you’ll know the results.

Perhaps you already voted by mail and are curious how your ballot is handled compared to in-person voters’.

Here’s what you should know.

How is my vote counted?

All Idaho counties are required by law to conduct elections using paper ballots.

After you vote on a paper ballot, it’s tabulated by county election officials either by a ballot-counting machine or by a hand count.

Ada County, for example, tabulates votes only using machines, said Chelsea Caratinni, spokesperson for the Ada County Clerk’s Office, while some rural counties conduct hand counts.

Idaho County, on the other hand, uses both ballot-counting machines and hand counting, depending on the precinct (voting location). Hand counting is conducted by a team of election workers, who review ballots one by one and record votes in a tally book, according to Idaho County’s website.

By law, ballot-counting machines must be certified by the secretary of state before use, and they cannot be connected to the internet. And they must be tested publicly prior to an election, a process known as logic and accuracy testing.

Logic and accuracy tests feed counting machines a stack of randomly marked ballots — known as a “test deck” — to verify that the machines are correctly reading ballots and accurately counting them, according to the secretary of state’s office.

After the election, paper ballots are retained in a sealed box in a secure location, according to the secretary of state’s office.

How is my absentee ballot handled?

Absentee — or mail-in — involves a different process than in-person voting.

After absentee voters return their ballots, either by mail or by dropping them off at collection locations, election administrators verify the signature required on the outer envelope containing the ballot. Election officials ensure the envelope signature matches the signature on the voter’s registration card, according to the secretary of state’s office.

Ballots, still in their envelopes, also are time-stamped before they’re stored until the Monday before Election Day. By law, county elections officers may, but are not required to, begin processing absentee ballots at 8 a.m. the day before Election Day.

Processing ballots involves removing them from their envelopes and flattening them so they can be fed into ballot-counting machines on Election Day, according to the secretary of state’s office.

Ada and Canyon counties stream absentee ballot processing live online.

After polls close on Election Day, each Ada County precinct sends its tally to the county clerk, which publicizes the unofficial county-wide results.

When will I know the results?

You will see unofficial results on Election Night, published by the Idaho Statesman and other media outlets across the state. The results are released by election officials in waves and updated throughout the night and into the early-morning hours. While there may be clear winners in races that aren’t closely contested, official results aren’t released until a week or more after Election Day.

In the meantime, county election administrators create canvass reports — the official tally of votes — by comparing Election Day results with reports from each precinct along with the number of issued ballots, spoiled ballots and votes in every race, according to the secretary of state’s office.

County commissions certify the canvass of countywide races — such as for county commissioner or sheriff — making those results official. And counties send canvass reports with federal, statewide and legislative results to the secretary of state.

The secretary of state has up to 15 days to create a statewide canvass that includes federal, statewide and legislative races. The statewide canvass is then certified by the state board of canvassers, which includes the secretary of state, state controller and state treasurer, making those results official.

Will the election be audited?

After votes are canvassed, the secretary of state will conduct an audit of results of statewide and/or federal results in eight counties.

Auditors compare paper ballots for a specific race — such as governor or lieutenant governor — against results reported by counties, which are randomly selected.

An audit of the May primary election found six variations in about 20,000 ballots.

How should I prepare for Election Day?

The Ada County election office is urging voters to check their polling location and prepare their ballot before Tuesday.

After last year’s redistricting process, most Ada County voters’ polling locations changed, a news release said.

“The general election ballot has more content than usual, so making sure that you’re familiar with the races and measures will save you time when you get to the polls,” Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane said in the release.

Voters can confirm their polling location and preview their ballot online by visiting adacountyelections.com/wheretovote.