County
Bannock Website Rid of Risch Link
August 21, 2008 
For whatever reason, the Official Bannock County website with the sponsored ads linking folks to the Jim Risch senate campaign site has been CLEANED OUT.
We posted a story YESTERDAY showing that when visitors searched for “absentee ballot” or “voter registration” they got neither–instead they were offered a menu of commercial sites headed by the Risch ad.
Looks like someone in Pocatello reads the GUARDIAN.
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Comments & Discussion
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© 2008 Boise Guardian. 
Aug 21, 2008, 8:04 pm
Not necessarily true, you can pay for ads (such as google ads, etc) for a certain amount of time, or for so many it’s displayed (or both).
Just because it’s displayed on a site once, doesn’t mean it will be there if you do the exact same search next week.
EDITOR NOTE–It appears, repeat appears, that Bannock County has done away with the sponsored links totally.
Aug 21, 2008, 9:49 pm
Now if they would post something actually useful, say a voter registration form or absentee ballot request…
These forms can be accessed through the links to the Secretary of State, but could easily be offered on the Bannock elections site as well.
Glad to see the change though. Amazing what a little public scrutiny can do!
Aug 21, 2008, 9:50 pm
Although I’m not responsible for that stuff being taken down, *I* am from Pocatello and *I* read the Guardian (online).
Aug 23, 2008, 6:37 pm
This posting was much to do about nothing. Your posting Tuesday, the 19th, with a screen shot of the Bannock County Website says clearly “Note: The first three results of your search are sponsored ads.”
That would be full disclosure.
Aug 25, 2008, 9:47 am
“Sponsored” ads may be appropriate for commercial or personal sites, but not for a taxpayer supported service, such as the county election office. Would you accept political advertisements in the County courthouse when you go to register to vote, or perhaps at the polling place itself? Wow, we could save money on ballots by selling advertising space to candidates!
This is called electioneering, and has no place on an official county website, with or without disclosure .