Bonneville County voters take advantage of absentee ballots

Friday was the last day Idaho voters could pre-register for the Nov. 6 election.

In Bonneville County , the waiting line was long but not only were voters registering early, they were voting early too.

“I usually vote absentee because that’s the only way I’d be able to vote,” said Lynn Guymon, a voter.

Guymon said he’d love to go to the polls on election day, but he just can’t.

“I work out at the INL site and on that Tuesday I’m on 12-hour shifts,” said Guymon. “I catch the bus at 5:30 in the morning and won’t get home until about 8:15 at night.”

It takes extra preparation for Guymon and the thousands of other Bonneville County voters who won’t be able to go to the polls to cast their ballots.

“We try not to ask, you know, ‘Why are you here?’ We just say, ‘Are you registered?’ And if they are we help them vote,” said Michele Harmon, elections worker.

Harmon is in charge of all absentee ballots in Bonneville County and said on a daily basis, she’ll mail out thousands of forms.

Today alone, she mailed out roughly 2,000.

“We get flooded with requests coming in the mail, by fax, by email and all of those things,” said Harmon.

Election workers said they’ve seen an increase in the number of absentee ballots, but are glad people want to be involved.

“It’s a little busier than it normally is when I absentee vote,” said Guymon. “Usually I’m the only one here, but today it’s real busy.”

If you didn’t make it to register today you must now register at the polls on election day, preferably with a government-issued photo I.D. and proof of residence.