County

Were Ada County Races An Anomoly?

A couple of Ada County races frankly surprised the GUARDIAN.

It would be fair to say the old Republican machine is still running despite the national landslide for the Obama presidency.

Sharon Ullman upset Commish Paul Woods with a solid 52% to 48% of the vote. Woods even had the support of former commish and current Boise City Councilor Vern Bisterfeldt who has always been popular with voters.

Commish Rick Yzaguirre seems to be living proof that “time heals all wounds” in his incumbent victory over Idaho legislature Dem David Langhorst. That may apply to Ullman as well since she had previously been voted out of office as a commish.

The real shocker was the two to one approval of doubling of vehicle registration fees to benefit the Ada County Highway District. One would have thought it would have gone down in flames in light of the victories of fiscal conservatives Ullman and Yzaguirre.

Final notes on election process:

COUNTS:
Exactly 180,979 ballots were cast for this election. Ada County finished tabulating ballots at approximately 4:15 a.m. this morning.

VOTER REGISTRATION/TURNOUT:
Voter registration and voter turnout numbers are unknown at this time. Data from voter registration cards must be entered into the Ada County election system, and once that is finalized, official turnout numbers can be calculated.

The election results are not official until the county’s canvass, which also takes a few days to process.

COUNTING PROCESS:
Absentee balloting caused minor delays early in the afternoon. Since these absentee ballots had been folded for mailing, the creases in the paper slowed the counting process as they went through the optical scan tabulators. Additionally these ballots had a significantly higher proportion of write-in candidates compared to those voted at the polls, causing the tabulators to stop the counting process so election workers could pull that ballot aside for election workers to review.

Election workers released results from approximately 83,000 absentee ballots/early votes around 9:15 p.m. Once the county had received returns from all 144 precincts, processing the ballots went smoothly. The major significant delay in tabulation came from the need to update returns. Each time results were posted to the Internet, the tabulators were shut down for several minutes to retrieve the new data.

Comments & Discussion

Comments are closed for this post.

  1. I felt the language in the vehicle registration fees vote was a bit confusing. I personally had to read it twice to make sure I understood the vote.

  2. I was seriously worried that this would be yet another dirty election. Of the three states I’ve voted in (in my life, not this election :), Idaho is the most hassle free. But I was a bit worried anyway, with stories of long lines and possibly needing to bring in my absentee ballot.

    So when I walked over to South Jr. High, imagine how my heart sank when I saw that my polling place had been torn down!

    Across the street there was a Lutheran church. I’m not a Lutheran, but it was close enough. I figured if I couldn’t vote, I better pray. At least that might help. I’d never even been in a Lutheran church before, and was surprised at how similar their liturgy is to our voting process.

    My prayers were answered.

  3. Sam the sham
    Nov 5, 2008, 2:37 pm

    i did do a few write ins myself… including Fraz for sheriff – but I do know that you’d rather be dog catcher. Hey, wait a minute: you have been the catcher of many dogs these past few years and we are happy for that.

    thanks Dave for a job well done!!!! Keep up the good work. Now let’s have a speech….

  4. I have to believe that the wording was “carefully crafted” to skew the outcome! Clear wording may have changed the outcome considerably. I’m sure the spin doctor that wrote the thing will have a “carefully crafted” response to any criticism.

    If you can’t get an issue passed based on it’s merits, resort to smoke and mirrors.

  5. Grumy ole guy
    Nov 5, 2008, 4:30 pm

    Nicely done piece. Thanks.

  6. Idaho’s voters are a “Mavericky” lot, Mr. Guardian. You know that. Always have been; always will be.
    (-;

    Regarding the ACHD registration fee… I was a bit amused (? – probably not the correct word) that the final sentence of the explanation said something to the effect of, “Before marking that box, do you REALLY want to vote NO to maintaining roads, filling potholes, keeping your children and grandkids safe, battling Communism, etc.?”

  7. I was really surprised by the Ada County Highway Destruction vote.
    I thought it would get shot down big-time, for two reasons:
    1. Very few people think ACHD does a good job of using the money they are forced to provide to it. (I’ve lost track of how many times they’ve redesigned and redone the intersection of State and Glenwood, or the one at the bottom of the hill from the Depot, instead of thinking ahead about what was needed before putting down the pavement.)
    2. Asking to increase any fee at a time when the economy is in the septic tank, thousands of people are losing their jobs, homes, etc., prices for food, gas and other necessaries keep going up, retirement plans have crumbled, stock values have flowed downhill like molten lava, etc., seemed just plain nuts!
    What the heck were the voters thinking?

  8. With regard to the wording on the ACHD ballot, I have been in touch with ACHD, the County Clerk, and The SOS’s office. There is no requirement for any review of ballot language for neutrality. The proponent (or the proponent’s spinmeister) writes it and on the ballot it goes. I intend on contacting my legislators to work on new legislation providing for some kind of review for neutrality. I thought it was outrageous. Between the slanted language and the low-key campaign, no wonder it passed.

  9. Does anybody have the actual text for the vehicle registration measure?

    EDITOR NOTE–
    Shane, here is the link to the pdf file. http://www.adaweb.net/departments/ClerkAuditorRecorder/documents/029_NewAdaSample_000.pdf

  10. The Boise Picayune
    Nov 6, 2008, 1:50 pm

    Regardless of how they voted, those who did were participants in history.

    The rest – mere observers.

    God Bless President Elect Obama and God Bless the United States of America.

  11. costaprettypenny
    Nov 6, 2008, 8:16 pm

    Baker and Uhlmen, what were the voters thinking? We can look forward to hours of bitching and pointing fingers, not much work or coalitions will be built that is for sure. I hope the local news folks will point out the lack of progress on important issues these two individuals will cause for their respective organizations. The comment “does not play well with others!” will be the norm the next four years, too bad for the tax payers of Ada County. Baker will probably have her husband busy writing letters to everyone..now!

  12. Based on the blog posted after this one, GOOD! It’s about time someone started to point fingers at the freaking idiots that are running this valley! Maybe if some light is shed on these “nefarious” actions, some reality will set in and the citizens will hold them accountable.

  13. Gordon
    What the heck were the voters thinking?
    They weren’t!

  14. Yzaguirre and Ullman on the same commission. That should be interesting since she tried to get him tossed in jail just a few years ago. Too bad it didn’t work.

  15. Let me guess, Costaprettypenny – is that you Craig?

    Or whoever you are, snicker, snicker, why don’t you have the courage to tell us who you REALLY are and who you work for?

  16. Why would Larry Craig ever want to tell Sara Baker who he really is? Hey I’m bored now anyway. The election is over. I want fresh drama and doe eyed TV blondes poking mikes in local big shot faces.
    This commission is gonna be fun. Let the finger pointing, bitching,snickering and winking begin. I want to see Republican on Republican mud wrestling. Who is more Socailistic, more Islamic, more “free enterprise”.

    Hey G-Man, when do we get to rant about some kind of local POO event again? Anyone else want more poo stories out there in G land? Soon it will be frozen poo we can bitch about. I feel better now. I got to write poo four times. G-Man, we want the steamy stories!

  17. I’m like a breath of fresh air compared to some of you cynics.

    Anyway, does anyone know where to find the Ada County election results for individual precincts?

  18. Teton county, Idaho

    Two County commissioner races:
    Both filled by democrats. Both are first time office holders.

    One Sheriff:
    Won by the democrat.

    Prosecuting Attorney:
    Unopposed democrat won.

    Barrack Obama won in the county as did LaRocco

  19. boisecynic

    Precinct results used to be posted online, but no longer (why? don’t know), so, you must go to the elections office in the courthouse and request to view or have copies of the precinct level results. This is the case in Ada County at least, other counties may be different, check with the county clerk.

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