Idaho State Senate elections, 2020
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| 2020 Idaho Senate Elections | |
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| General | November 3, 2020 |
| Primary | June 2, 2020 |
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| 2020 Elections | |
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Elections for the office of Idaho State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 2, 2020. The filing deadline was March 13, 2020.
On March 30, 2020, Governor Brad Little (R) and Secretary of State Lawerence Denney (R) announced that Idaho's primary election would be conducted by mail. On March 24, 2020, the secretary of state announced the implementation of online absentee ballot application process, which can be accessed here. The primary date effectively changed from May 19, 2020, to June 2, 2020—the day on which ballots were due.[1]
Idaho Republicans preserved their 28-seat supermajority in the 2020 elections. Neither party gained or lost seats, leaving partisan control of the chamber at the same 28-7 margin that existed heading into the election. All 35 seats in the chamber were up in 2020.
The Idaho State Senate was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. All 35 seats in the Idaho State Senate were up for election in 2020. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections.
Idaho's 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In Idaho, a commission is responsible for drawing district lines. The commission comprises six members: one each appointed by the majority and minority leaders of the state House and State Senate and one each appointed by the state's two largest political parties.
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Idaho did not modify any procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Party control
| Idaho State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 7 | 7 | |
| Republican Party | 28 | 28 | |
| Total | 35 | 35 | |
Candidates
General election
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection
Primary election
The candidate list below is based on candidate filing lists provided by the Idaho Secretary of State. (i) denotes an incumbent.[2]
Idaho State Senate primary 2020 |
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| Office |  Democratic |
 Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
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| District 2 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 3 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 4 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 5 |
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| District 6 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 7 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 8 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 9 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 10 |
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| District 11 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 12 |
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| District 13 |
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| District 14 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 15 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 16 |
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| District 17 |
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| District 18 |
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| District 19 |
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| District 20 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 21 |
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| District 22 |
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| District 23 |
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| District 24 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 25 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 26 |
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| District 27 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 28 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 29 |
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No candidates filed for the Republican primary |
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| District 30 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 31 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 32 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 33 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 34 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 35 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in the general election
No incumbents lost in the Nov. 3 general election.
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
No incumbents lost in the June 2 primaries, a decrease from the one incumbent defeated in the 2018 primaries.
Retiring incumbents
There were six open seats where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020.[3] Those incumbents were:
Six incumbents did not run for re-election in 2020.[4] Those incumbents were:
The six open seats in 2020 was the highest number of open seats since 2012 when nine incumbents did not seek re-election. The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.
| Open Seats in Idaho State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2020 | 35 | 6 (17%) | 29 (83%) |
| 2018 | 35 | 4 (11%) | 31 (89%) |
| 2016 | 35 | 2 (6%) | 33 (94%) |
| 2014 | 35 | 2 (6%) | 33 (94%) |
| 2012 | 35 | 9 (26%) | 26 (74%) |
| 2010 | 35 | 1 (3%) | 34 (97%) |
Process to become a candidate
See statutes: Title 34 of the Idaho Code
Political party candidates
A partisan candidate for a local office must file a declaration of candidacy and either pay a filing fee or submit a petition containing the required number of signatures with the relevant city, district, or county.[5] A candidate for a statewide, state legislative, or federal office must file a declaration of candidacy and either pay a filing fee or submit a petition containing the required number of signatures with Idaho Secretary of State.[5]
For a candidate collecting signatures to be filed with a declaration of candidacy, each signature sheet must contain the signatures of qualified electors from a single county and must be verified by the appropriate county clerk prior to being filed with the Idaho Secretary of State. This applies to candidates for all statewide offices, state legislative offices, and congressional offices. Filing fees and signature requirements vary according to the office sought and are set out in the table below.[5]
| Filing fees and petition signature requirements for partisan candidates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office sought | Filing fee | Petition signature requirements |
| United States Senator | $500 | 500 |
| United States Representative | $300 | 500 |
| Governor | $300 | 1,000 |
| Lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, state controller, attorney general, and superintendent of public instructure | $200 | 1,000 |
| State legislator | $30 | 50 |
Independent candidates
An independent candidate must file a declaration of candidacy and submit a petition containing the required number of signatures with the Idaho Secretary of State.[5][6]
Each petition signature sheet must contain the signatures of qualified electors from a single county and must be verified by the appropriate county clerk prior to being filed with the Idaho Secretary of State. This applies to all statewide, state legislative, and congressional offices.[5] Candidates must collect 1,000 signatures for any statewide office, including U.S. Senate, 500 for U.S. House, 50 for state legislative districts, and five for county offices.[6]
Write-in candidates
A write-in candidate must file a declaration of intent form with the Idaho Secretary of State. A write-in candidate seeking the nomination of a political party in the primary election also must pay the filing fee required of that office within 10 days following the primary election date. A write-in candidate must also receive a minimum number of votes in the primary election in order to advance to the general election. These vote thresholds are as follows: [7]
- 1,000 for any statewide office
- 500 for a congressional district office
- 50 for a state legislative office
A write-in candidate must file a declaration of intent form no less than 28 days before the primary or general election.[8]
2020 ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for Idaho State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.
| Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber name | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| Idaho State Senate | Qualified party | N/A | $30.00 | 3/13/2020 | Source |
| Idaho State Senate | Unaffiliated | 50 | N/A | 3/13/2020 | Source |
Qualifications
Article III, Section 6 of the Idaho Constitution states: No person shall be a senator or representative who, at the time of his election, is not a citizen of the United States, and an elector of this state, nor anyone who has not been for one year next preceding his election an elector of the county or district whence he may be chosen.
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2025[9] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $25,000/year | For legislators residing within 50 miles of the Capitol: $86/day. For legislators residing more than 50 miles from the Capitol: $253/day. |
When sworn in
Idaho legislators assume office on the first day in December following the general election.[10]
Idaho political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
Idaho Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas • Thirty one years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Presidential politics in Idaho
2016 Presidential election results
| U.S. presidential election, Idaho, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 27.5% | 189,765 | 0 | |
| Republican |  Donald Trump/Mike Pence |
59.3% | 409,055 | 4 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 4.1% | 28,331 | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka | 1.2% | 8,496 | 0 | |
| Independent | Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley | 0.6% | 4,403 | 0 | |
| Constitution | Scott Copeland/J.R. Myers | 0.3% | 2,356 | 0 | |
| Independent | Rocky De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg | 0.2% | 1,373 | 0 | |
| Independent | Evan McMullin/Nathan Johnson | 6.7% | 46,476 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 690,255 | 4 | |||
| Election results via: Idaho Secretary of State | |||||
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Idaho, parties decide who may vote in their primaries.[11] As of October 2025, the Democratic Party allows unaffiliated voters to vote in its primary, while the Republican Party only allows voters registered with its party to vote in its primary. Unaffiliated voters can choose to affiliate with a party on Election Day.[12][13]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In Idaho, all polls are open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time. In some instances, polls may open at 7:00 a.m., at the discretion of the local clerk. Idaho is split between Mountain and Pacific time zones. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[14]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in Idaho, an individual must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the Idaho county in which they are registering for at least 30 days before the election, and at least 18 years old on or before Election Day.[15][16]
Registration in advance of election day may be completed online, in person at the county clerk's office, or by mail. The deadline to register to vote online is the 11th day before the election. A registration application submitted by mail must be received by the 5:00 p.m. on the 11th day before the election. Voters may also register in-person at an early voting location or on Election Day.[15][17][18][19]
Idaho requires a photo ID and proof of residence to register to vote in person. According to the secretary of state's website, a valid photo ID is one of:[17]
- Idaho Driver’s License
- Idaho Identification Card
- Passport or Federal ID
- Tribal ID Card
- Concealed Weapons License issued by a county sheriff in Idaho
A valid proof of residence is one of:[17]
- Above photo ID with the correct address
- Proof of insurance
- Mortgage, lease, or rental agreement
- Property tax assessment, bill
- Utility bill (no cell bills)
- Bank/credit card statement
- Paystub/paycheck
- Intake document to a care facility
- Enrollment letter from an Idaho high school or university
- Letter from a social service agency
A voter registering to vote by a mail application must provide their Idaho driver's license number or their social security number. If the voter is registering for the first time they must also include a copy of a photo ID and proof of residence. Eligible documents are listed above.[15]
Automatic registration
- See also: Automatic voter registration
Idaho does not practice automatic voter registration.
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Idaho has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
Same-day registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Idaho allows same-day voter registration.
Residency requirements
Idaho law requires 30 days of residency in one of the state’s counties before a person may vote.
Verification of citizenship
Idaho does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[20] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The page Voter Information Look-Up, run by the Idaho Secretary of State's office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Early voting
Idaho permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting in Idaho varies by county, but may begin no earlier than the fourth Monday before Election Day.[21][19] To find dates and times in your county, check with your county elections office here.
Early voting allows citizens to cast their ballots in person at a polling place before an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting. Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire do not offer no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Idaho. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee. To vote absentee, an application must be received by election officials no later than the 11th day preceding the election.[22][23][24]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ ‘’The Office of the Governor,’’ “Proclamation,” accessed April 24, 2020
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "2020 Primary Candidate List," accessed March 16, 2020
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Vote Idaho, "Running For Office," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Idaho Statutes, "Title 34, Chapter 7, Section 708," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ Idaho Election Code, "Section 34-702," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ Idaho Statutes, "Title 34, Chapter 7, Section 702A," accessed February 26, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
- ↑ Idaho Constitution, "Article III, Section 3," accessed December 18, 2019
- ↑ Idaho State Legislature, "Idaho Code § 34–904A," accessed September 3, 2025
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State's Office, "Primary Elections in Idaho," accessed October 20, 2025
- ↑ ACLU Idaho, "2024 Your Rights as an Idaho Voter," accessed October 20, 2025
- ↑ Idaho Statutes, "Section 34-1101," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Idaho Secretary of State, "Idaho Voter Registration Form," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "Citizenship & Voting," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Idaho Secretary of State - Vote Idaho, "Registering To Vote," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ Idaho Legislature, "Idaho Statutes § 34-408," accessed June 26, 2025
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Idaho Legislature, "2025 Legislation - House Bill 278," accessed June 26, 2025
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ Idaho Legislature, "Idaho Statutes § 34-1012," accessed June 25, 2025
- ↑ Idaho State Legislature, "Idaho Statutes 34-1001," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ Idaho State Legislature, "Idaho Statutes 34-1002," accessed July 2, 2025
- ↑ Ada County Elections, "Absentee Voting," accessed July 2, 2025
