Tuesday morning, a team of election officials from the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office audited the previously reported discrepancy in Elmore County between the number of ballots cast and the number of voters who participated in the November 4, 2025, Election. The audit confirmed that each of the physical paper ballots cast in the election are in the custody of the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office. It was also confirmed that not all of those ballots were counted. With the discrepancy verified and ballots accounted for, Elmore County Clerk Shelley Essl ordered a countywide hand count of all Elmore County ballots to begin Monday morning, November 24.
“This should never have happened,” said Elmore County Clerk Shelley Essl. “I am committed to ensuring that all votes are counted. I appreciate the Secretary of State’s office working with us throughout this difficult situation.”
Clerk Essl has requested that the hand count be conducted by the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office to ensure a complete and independent review. In addition to the Secretary of State, officials from the Elmore County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office will be present to observe the count. The ballots will remain in the custody of the Sheriff’s Office throughout this process.
Upon the completion of the full count, the Secretary of State and County Clerk will be seeking judicial review, pursuant to Idaho Code 34-220. This step ensures that any race with a close margin receives appropriate legal scrutiny and, if necessary, provides the legal avenue for calling a new election. The deadline to seek judicial review is December 2.
“Our primary concern is to ensure that the will of the voters is reflected in the final results and that Idahoans can be confident every vote counts,” Secretary McGrane added. “Voters deserve clear, accurate results, and we’re taking immediate action to make sure that happens. There is no evidence of foul play, and the discrepancy appears to be the result of a procedural error. Once the count is complete, we will continue our investigation to determine the root cause and implement safeguards to prevent this from happening in the future.”
The new count of ballots will take place on Monday, November 24 beginning at 8:30 am at the Elk’s Lodge, 325 S. 3rd W. St., Mountain Home, Idaho. All candidates, the public, and media are welcome to attend and observe.
