Idaho's 2026 Election Calendar: Every Key Date Through November
Last updated May 30, 2026 · Cites Idaho Code chapters 34-4, 34-10, 34-12, and 34-23
Every deadline that matters between the May 19 primary and the November 3 general election. Most date triggers are pegged to election day or to canvass certification, not to fixed calendar dates, so they shift if you re-derive them. The day-counts here are the statutory ones; the calendar dates are what those day-counts work out to for the 2026 cycle.
Primary aftermath (May–June 2026)
The May 19 primary is over but the official record isn't finalized for weeks. Three deadlines close out the primary cycle.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Primary election day
Polls open 8 AM–8 PM Mountain Time (7 AM–7 PM Pacific in northern Idaho). Voters chose nominees within their party ballot.
Thursday, May 28, 2026
County canvass deadline
Each county board of canvassers must convene within 9 days of the election to canvass returns from every precinct.
Idaho Code §34-1205
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
State canvass deadline
The State Board of Canvassers (Secretary of State, State Controller, State Treasurer) must convene within 21 days of the primary to certify the official statewide results.
Idaho Code §34-1211
Monday, June 29, 2026
Primary recount-request deadline
Candidates may apply for a recount within 20 days of the State Board canvass. The state pays if the margin is 0.1% or 5 votes, whichever is greater; otherwise the candidate pays unless the recount changes the outcome.
Idaho Code §34-2301, §34-2309
Pre-general window (October 2026)
The two big deadlines in October — voter pre-registration through the county clerk and the absentee-ballot application window — both fall on the 11th day before election day, which is Friday, October 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM.
Friday, October 23, 2026 · 5:00 PM
Voter pre-registration deadline (county clerk)
Last day to register through your county clerk for the November 3 election. Applications received after this date are accepted but held until the day after the election. Eleven days before election day.
Idaho Code §34-408
Friday, October 23, 2026 · 5:00 PM
Absentee ballot application deadline
Last day for the county clerk to receive a mail-in absentee ballot application. Same statutory window as voter registration: 11 days before election.
Idaho Code §34-1002
October (varies by county)
In-person early voting opens
Counties that offer early voting may begin as early as the third week before election day. Check your county clerk for the specific in-person early-voting window and location.
Same-day registration is available at the polling place on election day with proof of identity and proof of Idaho residence. The 11-day pre-registration deadline only applies to registration through the county clerk.
General election + certification (November 2026)
The cycle's closing four dates. The certification timeline echoes the primary: county boards meet within 9 days, the State Board within 21, recount applications then have 20 days.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
General election day
Polls open 8 AM–8 PM Mountain Time. Same-day registration available at the polling place with proof of identity and residence. Absentee ballots must be received by the county clerk by 8 PM on election day to be counted.
Thursday, November 12, 2026
County canvass deadline
County boards of canvassers must convene within 9 days of the election. Same statutory cadence as the primary.
Idaho Code §34-1205
Tuesday, November 24, 2026
State canvass deadline
State Board of Canvassers must certify within 21 days. Until certification, the November results are "unofficial returns."
Idaho Code §34-1211
Monday, December 14, 2026
General-election recount-request deadline
Candidates may apply for a recount within 20 days of the State Board canvass. Same threshold and process as the primary.
Idaho Code §34-2301
The statutory pattern, plain
| Trigger | Window | Idaho Code |
|---|---|---|
| Voter pre-registration (county clerk) | Closes 11 days before election | §34-408 |
| Absentee ballot application | Closes 11 days before election, 5 PM | §34-1002 |
| County canvass | Within 9 days after election | §34-1205 |
| State canvass | Within 21 days after election | §34-1211 |
| Recount-request deadline | Within 20 days after state canvass | §34-2301 |
| Free-recount threshold | Margin ≤ 0.1% or ≤ 5 votes (whichever greater) | §34-2309 |
None of these statutory windows specify a fixed calendar date — they all anchor to election day or to canvass. If a future cycle moves its primary to a different Tuesday, the day-counts stay the same and the calendar dates shift accordingly.
What this doesn't cover
Some scheduling pieces vary by county or are administrative rather than statutory: when ballots are physically mailed out (typically once an absentee application is processed), exact early-voting hours and locations, polling-place changes, and campaign-finance reporting deadlines (those are tied to election day under the Sunshine Law, but each report period has its own pre/post-election cutoff). Check your county clerk and the Idaho Secretary of State's office for those.
Related Tally Idaho coverage
The 17 closest primary races · How Idaho election recounts work · Seats with no November opposition · Primary by the numbers · 2026 primary results homepage