As Election Day approaches, officials urge Idahoans to rely on trusted sources for voting information
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – In the lead-up to Election Day, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, Secretary of State Lawerence Denney, U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho Josh Hurwit and Idaho’s county clerks are urging Idahoans to get their election-related information from trusted sources and to report any voting rights or voter fraud concerns to officials.
In their role overseeing local elections, Idaho clerks say they’re encountering misinformation circulating among the electorate. Much of the false or misleading information originates in social media and is especially dangerous because of its unknown sources, their motives and how quickly it can proliferate across platforms. Elections officials encourage voters to turn to official sources like VoteIdaho.gov and local resources like their county clerk’s elections office to ensure they are getting election information they can rely on.
“Voting is a fundamental right and one we should all take seriously,” Attorney General Wasden said. “A component of that is casting an informed ballot that’s based on legitimate information from trustworthy sources. I encourage all Idahoans to make this a priority before they go to the polls.”
Officials encourage voters to treat information from unofficial sources with a healthy amount of skepticism. If something seems unusual or sensational, voters should check it out with an official source. Secretary of State Denney asks voters to contact their county clerk or his office with questions. A list of Idaho county clerks with contact information is available at https://voteidaho.gov/county-clerks/.
“Idaho’s elections are run by 44 elected county clerks with oversight by the Secretary of State,” says Lawerence Denney, Idaho’s chief election official. “It’s only logical, then, that Idahoans’ trusted source of information on elections should start in the same place – with their local clerk. The more we can keep the disinformation from spreading by checking details at the source, the better election we can run for Idaho.”
Elections officials say Idaho’s system is safe and reliable. County clerks rely on strong laws enacted by the state legislature to administer elections. Election officials say this results in a uniform system across the state that Idahoans can be confident in.
On the federal level, U.S. Attorney Hurwit has multiple Assistant U.S. Attorneys across the state ready to address voting rights and election fraud concerns in consultation with components of the U.S. Justice Department in Washington D.C. Anyone with a complaint about interference with the integrity of the election should contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (208) 334-1211, or the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington D.C. by emailing voting.section@usdoj.gov or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
“The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy,” U.S. Attorney Hurwit said. “We all must ensure that those who are entitled to vote can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt elections are brought to justice. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
