You've seen the yard signs. You've gotten the mailers, sat through the ads, and heard a few opinions at the post office, the trailhead, and maybe your own dinner table. Here's the ballot, no spin.

Tuesday, Nov. 3, is Election Day, and polls are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Every Blaine County ballot has 18 races and four statewide questions, and Ketchum and Hailey voters get one local question each. Below: how to vote, what each question does if it passes or fails, and what every candidate says they'd do in office, in alphabetical order, with a link to their campaign where we found one. All we want is for you to be able to form your own opinion.

One tip before you go: your ballot is printed on both sides. Flip it over.

HOW TO VOTE

Polls are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday

WHEREVote at your assigned polling place. It's the only place your ballot is. These are the county's 2026 polling places; confirm yours on VoteIdaho or call the Elections Office at 208-788-5510. If you're in line by 8 p.m., you can vote. [county] [VoteIdaho]

KETCHUMThe Community Library. North of town (Precinct 1) votes at Ketchum City Hall.

SUN VALLEYSun Valley City Hall.

HAILEYThe Community Campus, for every Hailey precinct, plus Woodside, Quigley, and Deer Creek.

BELLEVUEBellevue Elementary, for Bellevue, Poverty Flat, Gannett, and Picabo. [city]

IDBring a photo ID. An Idaho driver's license or ID card, a U.S. passport or other federal photo ID, a tribal ID, or an Idaho concealed weapons license works. A registered voter without one can sign a Personal Identification Affidavit instead. [county]

NOT REGISTERED?Register at your polling place. Bring a photo ID and proof of residence, such as a utility bill, a lease, a bank statement, or a paystub with your address. [county]

ABSENTEEYour ballot has to arrive by 8 p.m. Tuesday. Drop it at the Elections Office, 206 1st Ave S, Suite 100, in Hailey, or in the drop box on the east side of the courthouse. Polling places can't take absentee ballots. [county]

PREVIEWSee your own ballot before you go. Look it up on VoteIdaho, or open the county's sample ballots for Ketchum, Hailey, Bellevue, and everywhere else. The state's voter pamphlet has the full text of every statewide question.

RESULTSResults post Tuesday night on VoteIdaho.

STATEWIDE QUESTIONS

Two amendments, one initiative, and an advisory question

Every Idaho ballot has these four. HJR 4 and HJR 6 would change the state constitution, which takes two-thirds of each house of the Legislature and then a majority of voters. Proposition 1 would be a state law, passed by a majority of voters. The fourth question is advisory and changes no law.

Sources: Idaho Constitution, Art. XX, Idaho Code 34-1813

HJR 4: WHO CAN LEGALIZE MARIJUANA AND OTHER DRUGS

What it says. Only the Legislature could legalize marijuana, narcotics, or other psychoactive substances in Idaho.

A yes gives the Legislature that power alone, so a citizen initiative could no longer legalize any of these substances.

A no changes nothing. Voters could still change Idaho's drug laws by initiative, as they can today.

How it got here. The House passed it 58 to 10 and the Senate 29 to 6 in 2025. The arguments for and against are on page 4 of the voter pamphlet.

Read more: HJR 4 and its votes, the voter pamphlet. We found no campaign committee for or against.

HJR 6: ENGLISH AS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

What it says. English would be Idaho's official language, used in all public proceedings, documents, and public-school instruction, except where federal law requires another language. A 2007 state law already names English the official language; this would put it in the constitution.

A yes adds that to the constitution. City council meetings, jury trials, government documents, and public-school teaching would be in English, with federal exceptions.

A no changes nothing in the constitution, which names no official language now.

How it got here. The House passed it 59 to 8 and the Senate 30 to 5 in 2025. The arguments for and against are on page 5 of the voter pamphlet.

Read more: HJR 6 and its votes, the voter pamphlet, Idaho Capital Sun on the 2007 law. We found no campaign committee for or against.

PROPOSITION 1: THE REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM AND PRIVACY ACT

What it says. A citizen initiative creating a right to abortion before fetal viability, and after viability in a medical emergency; a right to make reproductive decisions, including contraception and fertility treatment; and protections for patients and providers.

A yes, as the ballot describes it, creates a right to abortion before fetal viability and after it in medical emergencies, protects healthcare providers from discipline and liability, and codifies a statutory right to reproductive freedom and privacy.

A no, as the ballot describes it, keeps current law, which prohibits abortion except to prevent the pregnant woman's death, and in the first trimester in documented cases of rape or incest reported to law enforcement.

How it got here. The Secretary of State certified 75,478 signatures in July.

Read more: the argument for is on page 8 of the voter pamphlet, submitted by Idahoans United for Women and Families; the argument against is on page 9, submitted by the Idaho Family Policy Center, Idaho Chooses Life, Right to Life Idaho, Too Extreme for Idaho, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise; the full text is on pages 11 to 13. Campaign sites: supporters and opponents. Signature count.

ADVISORY QUESTION: A STATE GUN

You pick one of six: the Winchester Model 1894, the Winchester Model 1873, the 1873 Colt Single Action Army Revolver "Peacemaker," the M1 Garand rifle, the Colt M1911 pistol, or the Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle. The result is nonbinding. The Legislature would have to pass a separate law in a future session to name a state gun. Lawmakers put the question on the ballot without a dissenting vote in 2026.

Read more: House Bill 932, pages 14 and 15 of the voter pamphlet

LOCAL QUESTIONS

One question in Ketchum, one in Hailey

KETCHUM: THE LOCAL-OPTION TAX

Who votes. Ketchum city voters. It's one question with one yes or no, even if the ballot's formatting makes it look like more.

A yes renews the city's extra sales tax for 15 years, through 2041, and raises some rates: lodging and short-term rentals from 2% to 4%, and retail (not groceries or fuel) and building materials from 1% to 1.5%. That's 50 cents more on a $100 retail purchase. The city says the increase brings in about $2 million a year, and the ballot says all of it goes to streets, sidewalks, and pathways.

A no lets the current tax expire Dec. 31, 2027. The city says it would cut services, naming police and dispatch, Mountain Rides, and events, unless voters approve a later measure.

How it passes. It needs 60%.

Read more: City of Ketchum, the city's FAQ, Ketchum sample ballot, IME, Oct. 28. We found no campaign site for either side.

HAILEY: JOINING THE COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT

Who votes. Hailey city voters. The question is whether to annex the city into the BC South Fire Protection District, which operates as Blaine County Fire & Rescue.

A yes moves Hailey's fire service into the district on Oct. 1, 2027. Hailey property owners would pay the district an estimated $51.44 per $100,000 of taxable value starting in 2028, about $257 a year on $500,000. The city would cut its own levy by about $383,000, which the IME puts at about $13.95 per $100,000, or about $70 on $500,000. The district figure is an estimate. The station stays staffed around the clock, the trucks move to the district, and the district's elected board sets the budget.

A no keeps fire service with the city, which expects to move to volunteer and paid-on-call firefighters in 2028. Mutual aid between departments continues either way.

How it passes. A simple majority.

Read more: City of Hailey, Hailey sample ballot, IME, Oct. 28. We found no campaign site for either side.

FEDERAL RACES

U.S. Senate and U.S. House

U.S. SENATE

A six-year term. Idaho's two senators vote on federal laws and confirm federal judges and cabinet members.

INDEPENDENTTodd Achilles. If elected, he says he would push for congressional term limits and a ban on members of Congress trading individual stocks, close tax loopholes to pay down the national debt, protect healthcare tax credits, build more housing, and oppose selling public lands. [campaign]

INDEPENDENTNatalie M. Fleming. If elected, she says she would work to protect Idaho homeownership from Wall Street buyers, pursue immigration reform, focus on fiscal responsibility and economic fairness, and support environmental stewardship. [campaign]

LIBERTARIANMatt Loesby. If elected, he says he would close the border and end birthright citizenship, abolish the Federal Reserve, bring U.S. troops home and end foreign military aid, and leave social issues to states and local governments. [campaign]

REPUBLICANJim Risch, the incumbent. If reelected, he says he would keep opposing plans to sell federal land in Idaho, push tax cuts and stronger domestic supply chains to lower prices, prioritize border security and immigration enforcement, and back nuclear energy and hydropower, including opposing dam breaching. [campaign]

Democrat David Roth withdrew in August and is not on the ballot (East Idaho News).

U.S. HOUSE, DISTRICT 2

A two-year term representing Idaho's 2nd District, which includes Blaine County. The House writes federal laws and starts every spending bill.

DEMOCRATEllie Gilbreath. If elected, she says she would push Congress to check executive power, ban stock trading by members and their families, and end dark money in campaigns; keep public lands public and protect Idaho water rights; fight price gouging and Wall Street home buying; and strengthen rural healthcare. [campaign]

INDEPENDENTEmre Houser. If elected, he says he would oppose any sale of public lands, serve no more than two terms, push to ban members of Congress from holding individual stocks, and work to overturn Citizens United, the Supreme Court ruling on campaign spending. [campaign]

INDEPENDENTTripp Charles Hutchinson. If elected, he says he would work to lower the cost of living so a family can live on one income, keep Idaho rural, and oppose concentrated power in government and business. He says he takes no billionaire or corporate PAC money. [campaign]

LIBERTARIANWill Johanson. If elected, he says he would vote against any budget that adds to the national debt, expand domestic drilling and mining, close the border, and oppose limits on gun rights. [campaign]

REPUBLICANMike Simpson, the incumbent. If reelected, he says he would make border security his top priority, support agriculture, fully fund the VA, and require photo ID to vote. [campaign]

STATEWIDE OFFICES

Governor through superintendent

Each is a four-year term. The state's voter pamphlet covers only the ballot questions, not candidates. The Idaho Capital Sun asked every statewide candidate the same questions; their answers are in its voter guide.

GOVERNOR

Runs state agencies, proposes the state budget, signs or vetoes bills, and appoints judges to open seats.

REPUBLICANBrad Little, the incumbent. If reelected, he says he would keep cutting regulations, pass more tax relief, continue his education work on teacher pay, literacy, school choice, and the LAUNCH career-training grants, and support border and law enforcement efforts. [campaign]

DEMOCRATTerri Pickens. If elected, she says she would repeal the school voucher program and raise school funding, keep public lands public, reverse Idaho's current abortion laws, and push for fair wages and safe workplaces. [campaign]

CONSTITUTIONPro-Life, the Constitution Party nominee. He was born Marvin Richardson and legally changed his name to Pro-Life, and Idaho law has the ballot list a candidate's former name, so you'll see "Pro-Life (CON) (a person, formerly known as Marvin Richardson)" in the governor's race. Filling in that oval is a vote for him. If elected, he says he would establish legal personhood at conception, end vaccine mandates by executive order, repeal existing gun laws, and cut state spending on education, welfare, health, and retirement programs with matching tax cuts. [campaign] [name change]

LIBERTARIANPaul Sand. His campaign site doesn't list priorities for governor. In April, Ballotpedia summarized them as making counties the top layer of government, ending the state income and sales taxes, and keeping public lands public, and he says he accepts no donations. [campaign] [April summary]

INDEPENDENTJohn R. Stegner. If elected, he says he would focus on affordability, healthcare access, and funding public schools, keep public lands public, and let local residents decide whether data centers come to their communities. [campaign]

The governor's race has a write-in line.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Presides over the state Senate, breaks tie votes there, and serves as acting governor when the governor is out of state.

REPUBLICANScott Bedke, the incumbent. If reelected, he says he would support law enforcement and border security and push for lower taxes and less regulation, and he points to his voting record on gun rights and abortion. [campaign]

DEMOCRATEric Myricks. If elected, he says he would protect Medicaid, fully fund schools and repeal the voucher program, base water planning on science, keep public lands public, and keep taxes low without cutting roads, schools, or senior care. [campaign]

SECRETARY OF STATE

Runs state elections, business filings, and campaign finance disclosure, and sits on the state Land Board.

DEMOCRATShawn Keenan. We couldn't find a campaign site or published priorities.

REPUBLICANPhil McGrane, the incumbent. If reelected, he says he would keep tightening election security through accurate voter rolls, eligibility checks, and post-election audits, update Idaho's campaign finance disclosure laws, and modernize the office's online services. [campaign] [Capital Sun]

ATTORNEY GENERAL

The state's lawyer: represents Idaho in court and advises state agencies.

DEMOCRATLori Hickman. If elected, she says she would enforce the law as written regardless of political pressure, defend keeping federal lands public, protect Idaho's control of its water, and fight fraud, including AI scams. She says data centers should supply their own water and power. [campaign]

REPUBLICANRaúl Labrador, the incumbent. If reelected, he says he would continue his task force on online child predators, defend parental rights, including the school-choice tax credit, back federal immigration enforcement in court, and defend gun rights. [campaign]

STATE CONTROLLER

Keeps the state's books and runs payroll for state employees.

DEMOCRATRakesh Mohan. If elected, he says he would focus the office on accountability, performance, and transparency, and change how it handles the state's Luma software system. [campaign]

REPUBLICANBrandon Woolf, the incumbent. If reelected, he says he would keep publishing state spending through Transparent Idaho, focus on fiscal responsibility and state endowment lands, and keep running the state's payroll and financial reporting. [campaign]

STATE TREASURER

Manages and invests the state's money.

REPUBLICANJulie Ellsworth, the incumbent. If reelected, she says she would keep expanding the office's transparency tools, work to lower local governments' borrowing costs to ease property taxes, and keep non-financial factors out of state investment decisions. [campaign]

DEMOCRATKevin Jones. If elected, he says he would review the state's investment strategy, which he says has underperformed. He also says he plans to leave his party after the election and serve as an independent. [campaign] [Capital Sun]

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

Leads the State Department of Education and sits on the State Board of Education.

REPUBLICANDebbie Critchfield, the incumbent. If reelected, she says she would expand career-technical education, dual credit, and work-based learning, continue phonics-based reading and regional math support, and improve teacher pay and training. [campaign]

DEMOCRATBecky Sundin Mitchell. If elected, she says she would raise teacher pay to match neighboring states and address rural housing shortages for teachers, end school choice tax credits, and connect schools with colleges and employers. [campaign]

CONSTITUTIONTeresa Roundy. If elected, she says she would fund public schools instead of school choice tax credits, focus on child safety, restructure the school day around a shorter academic core and community projects, and limit students' screen and AI use. [campaign]

All three in their own words: Idaho News survey

THE LEGISLATURE

Three District 26 seats

District 26 is Blaine, Lincoln, and Jerome counties. The Legislature writes state laws and passes the state budget. All three seats are two-year terms.

STATE SENATE

REPUBLICANBryan Hyde. If elected, he says he would repeal the grocery tax and eventually the property tax, oppose raising state revenue, and push for more housing options. [campaign]

INDEPENDENTShaila Tate. If elected, she says she would vote against budget increases and federal funds, support border enforcement and deporting people here illegally, and oppose abortion. We couldn't find a campaign site. [survey]

DEMOCRATRon Taylor, the incumbent. If reelected, he says he would focus on affordability and restoring funding for public services, fund public schools and raise teacher pay, and protect access to public lands and water. [campaign]

All three in their own words: IME Q&A, Oct. 28, and the Idaho News survey

STATE HOUSE, SEAT A

DEMOCRATAnita Janis. If elected, she says she would put water first, overhaul the school funding formula, reconsider recent tax cuts, and use the rainy-day fund to cover shortfalls. [campaign]

REPUBLICANMike Pohanka, the incumbent. If reelected, he says he would put water first, then schools, first responders, Highway 75, and Blaine County housing costs. [campaign]

INDEPENDENTBella Schiffler. If elected, she says she would work to end property and income taxes, cut federal funds, and oppose abortion and illegal immigration. [campaign]

All three in their own words: Idaho News survey

STATE HOUSE, SEAT B (OPEN SEAT)

REPUBLICANLyle Johnstone. If elected, he says he would protect land, water, and schools, oppose tax increases, and cut regulations he says add as much as $130,000 to the cost of a new home. [campaign]

DEMOCRATKevin Marsh. If elected, he says he would work to end the grocery tax, push for affordable housing and healthcare, and make school funding steadier so it relies less on property taxes, with more local control. [campaign]

Both in their own words: IME Q&A, Oct. 28. Rep. Jack Nelsen is not running again.

BLAINE COUNTY

Two contested county races

COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT 1 (FOUR YEARS)

The three commissioners run county government: they set the county budget and decide land use and county services. District 1 covers the county from Hailey's southern limits south, but every county voter votes in it.

REPUBLICANLogan Davis. If elected, he says the county should leave housing development to nonprofits and private builders rather than act as a developer or landlord, keep the coroner's office independent, and focus on fiscal responsibility and planning for the south county. We couldn't find a campaign site.

DEMOCRATLindsay Mollineaux, the incumbent. If reelected, she says water security is her first goal, starting with a basin-wide water budget, wants clear measures for every housing dollar the county spends, and supports making the coroner's office a county department. We couldn't find a campaign site.

Both in their own words: IME Q&A, Oct. 28, and IME, Oct. 16

CLERK OF THE DISTRICT COURT (OPEN SEAT)

The clerk runs county elections, keeps the court's and commissioners' records, records land documents, and is the county's chief budget officer. Clerk Stephen Graham isn't on the November ballot.

DEMOCRATDawn Cieslik. If elected, she says she would release election results accurately and quickly, record land documents and commission minutes on time, and run the office with fiscal responsibility. [campaign]

REPUBLICANDarcy Creech. If elected, she says she would bring a view from outside government, avoid wasting taxpayer money, and study how Lincoln County handles recording. We couldn't find a campaign site.

Sources: IME, Oct. 16, IME, May 13

UNOPPOSED

Each of these has one name on the ballot: Muffy Davis, Democrat, commissioner, District 2 (two years), the incumbent; John David Davidson, Democrat, treasurer, the incumbent; Jim Williams, Democrat, assessor, the incumbent; and Eric Demment, Democrat, coroner, who won the May primary.

Sources: county sample ballot, IME, May results

That's the whole ballot. If we got something wrong, hit reply and we'll fix it. Results post Tuesday night on VoteIdaho, and our regular issue is back Thursday.

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