Why doesn't county use contact information?

My absentee ballot almost didn’t count.

Probably many absentee ballots were not counted.

I voted absentee because I would be out of state on Election Day. I mailed my ballot and left on vacation. I returned early and found a notice in my snail mail about my ballot.

I resolved the issue before Election Day by sending the documents via email and following up with a phone call to the Bonner County Elections Office. In the phone call, I was told that since my address had changed (from one street in Bonner County to another in Bonner County; both in the same voting precinct), my ballot could not be accepted without proof of residency and/or photo ID.

I have voted in Bonner County for 20 years and have had three addresses during that time.

I had requested an absentee ballot from the Secretary of State website. The form requires email address and phone number but not photo I D or proof of residency.

Had I provided an Idaho driver’s licenses as photo I D, my address would have been shown as the old one since Idaho DMV doesn’t require changing one’s address and recommends against doing so.

I had been sent the ballot without any further questions. Why, if the changed address was a problem?

Email and phone numbers are available, why wouldn’t the elections office use either to inform the voter?

If a change of address must be verified, why not include that information on the ballot request form?

KEN SANGER

Sandpoint