Eight Idaho Counties and Precincts Randomly Selected for May Primary Election Audit
Officials will hand-count at least 2,100 ballots in each selected county to verify reported results and compliance with Idaho law, the secretary of state said.
- On Friday, Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane and Idaho State Controller Brandon Woolf used a lottery spinner at the Idaho State Capitol to randomly select eight counties for post-primary ballot audits.
- These mandatory audits, required by a 2022 law passed unanimously by the Idaho Legislature through Senate Bill 1274, verify the accuracy of election tabulation across the state.
- Officials will hand-count at least 2,100 ballots, or 5% of precincts, in selected counties to compare against clerk results, with total costs estimated to not exceed $50,000 per election.
- Audits begin Monday, June 1, with scheduled stops in Gooding, Lemhi, and Canyon counties, remaining open for public observation to reinforce transparency and confirm that every vote is counted accurately.
- McGrane noted that logistical challenges in reaching far-flung locations within the narrow audit window require the state plane to transport auditors to Butte and Power counties.
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Idaho Capital Sun
Idaho election officials randomly pick eight counties for primary election audits
Idaho State Controller Brandon Woolf picks numbered tiles representing counties to be audited following the primary election at a meeting on Friday, May 29, 2026. (Photo by Kyle Pfannenstiel/Idaho Capital Sun)Idaho election officials on Friday randomly selected eight counties — including rural counties and two in the state’s population center — to undergo audits of paper ballots after the May primary election. Plucking numbered tiles that were j…
Election results to be audited in eight counties
Ada County election officials let out an exasperated sigh on Friday afternoon when State Controller Brandon Woolf pulled tile No. 17 from a bingo cage. “Sorry, Trent,” Woolf said, referring to Ada County Clerk Trent Tripple. The tile means Idaho’s most populous county will be one of eight to have their primary election results audited next week. Officials in Franklin, Canyon, Lemhi, Gooding, Owyhee, Butte, Power and Ada counties will have to ope…
Idaho Officials Randomly Select Counties for Post-Election Audit of Primary Election
BOISE, ID — Idaho election officials have selected eight counties for post-election audits following the May 19 Primary Election, a process designed to verify the accuracy of vote tabulation across the state. Members of the Idaho Board of Canvassers, including Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane and Idaho State Controller Brandon Woolf, conducted the audit draw Thursday at the Idaho State Capitol. Counties and precincts selected for review wer…
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