Hello Idaho!

Before you can vote in Idaho, you’ve gotta make sure that you’re registered. You can check whether you’re already registered using the link in the description.

If you’re not registered yet, or if you’ve moved or changed your name since the last time you voted, you’ll need to fill out a registration form. There are a few ways that you can register to vote in Idaho. If you have a valid Idaho ID, you can register to vote online.

But if you don’t have one because you’re a student from another state, or you don’t drive, you can still register by mail. There’s a link to a registration form that you can print, fill out, and mail in. Either way you register ahead of time, you’ve gotta do it by October 9th for the November 3rd general election.

If you missed the deadline, don’t panic, Idaho still allows you to register at the polls on election day. To do that, you need to bring a valid Idaho driver’s license or state ID with your current address on it. Or a combination of another photo ID, like a student ID or passport, and a piece of mail with your name and current address on it, like a bank statement, utility bill, tuition bill, or paycheck.

So once you’re registered, you get to vote. If you’ll be out of state on election day, or you’d just rather vote from the comfort of your own home, you can apply to vote absentee. There’s a link to an application in the description.

You’ve got until October 23rd to apply, but the sooner you do it, the more time that you’ll have to look at the ballot and research the candidates before you make your decision. Once your application is processed, you’ll get a ballot in the mail, which you can fill out at your own pace and send back by November 3rd. In some counties, you can also vote early in person between October 19th through the 30th at your county clerk’s office or elections office.

There’s a link to all of their websites below where the locations and times will be posted by the time early voting begins. But if you want that experience of voting in person on November 3rd, the polls are open from 8am to 8pm and there’s a link below that will tell you where to go to vote. You’ll need to bring a photo ID with you.

An Idaho driver’s license or state ID, a passport, tribal ID, concealed weapons license, or a student ID from a high school or college in Idaho all count. You can also go to idahovotes.gov to look at a sample ballot that tells you everything you’ll be able to vote for in your county. You don’t have to vote for every single item on the ballot--you can leave things blank if you want to, but your local elections can be pretty important, so it’s worth checking out what’s on there ahead of time.

You can even print it out and bring it to the polls with you so you don’t forget how you want to vote. The best thing to do if you’re planning to vote this year is to make a plan to vote right now—from what day you’re going to register to whether you’re gonna vote in person or by mail. What kind of ID you’re going to use, and where it is, even what time you’re going to vote and how you’re going to get there.

Write it down, put it in your notes app, text it to a friend, just make a plan so that nothing unexpected stops you from being counted on November 3rd. All the links you need to check your registration and polling location are in the description. Thanks for voting.

How To Vote in Every State is produced by Complexly in partnership with The MediaWise Voter Project, which is led by The Poynter Institute and supported by Facebook.