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H 441

ABSENTEE VOTING – Amends, repeals, and adds to existing law to revise provisions regarding the returning and verification of absentee ballots.

68th Legislature, 1st Regular Session (2025)

H 441 requires voters to provide extra IDs for absentee ballots, hides them on exterior envelopes, and tightens verification and timing to ensure ballots are counted only after pro

Reported Printed and Referred to State Affairs
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Bill Summary · H 441

Summary of Idaho House Bill H 441 (2025)

Purpose and intent

House Bill 441 aims to strengthen election integrity and protect voters’ personal information in the absentee voting process. It requires additional personally identifiable information (PII) to be collected by voters and designed to be concealed from view on the outside of return envelopes. The bill envisions a system (likely a two-envelope or three-envelope design) that prevents signatures and PII from being visible on the exterior of the return envelope.

Key provisions

  • Section 34-1004 (Amended): Marking and folding; affidavit envelope and return envelope

    • When an absentee ballot is returned, the voter must also provide:
    • Driver’s license or state ID number (if it exists),
    • Last four digits of the Social Security number,
    • Date of birth,
    • An affidavit signature on the back of the return envelope (not required to be notarized).
    • The Secretary of State must design a system so that the voter’s DL/ID number, last four SSN digits, DOB, and the affidavit signature are not visible on the outside of the sealed return envelope.
    • The ballot itself remains sealed within its own secret envelope.

  • Section 34-1005 (Repeal and new addition): Return of absentee ballots

    • The original Section 34-1005 is repealed; a new Section 34-1005 is added.
    • Absentee ballots must be received by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.
    • County clerks must:
    • Verify the affidavit’s authenticity, including signature match with voter registration.
    • Verify the data elements (DL/ID number, last four SSN digits, DOB) against matchable voter data.
    • Date/time stamp the envelope upon receipt and record information as required by Section 34-1011.
    • In counties with central count centers, clerks may open the return/affidavit envelopes to remove the sealed secret ballot envelope; otherwise, ballots remain sealed until the prescribed counting time.

  • Section 34-1008 (Amended): Deposit of absentee ballots

    • Process remains that poll judges open the carrier envelope, verify voter eligibility, and then open the return/affidavit envelope to remove the sealed secret ballot envelope, which is then deposited into the appropriate ballot box.
    • The elector’s name is entered on the poll books as though the elector voted in person. The sealed secret envelope is not opened until counting.

  • Effective date

    • The act takes effect on January 1, 2026.

Fiscal impact

  • A limited statewide cost is anticipated (less than $4,000 in FY26), based on the incremental cost of an additional envelope and historical absentee ballot volumes (May 2022 primary). Costs are distributed across Idaho’s 44 counties.

Who is affected

  • Absentee voters (they must provide additional identifying information on the return process).
  • County clerks and election staff (new verification steps and handling of a multi-envelope system).
  • Secretary of State (designs the system to keep PII hidden on exterior envelopes).
  • Counties with central count ballot processing centers (potentially different handling during verification).

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Introduced March 24, 2025; referred to State Affairs after printing.
  • House Bill 441 would become law effective January 1, 2026, assuming passage and any required approval.

This summary focuses on the bill’s substantive changes to absentee voting procedures, privacy protections, verification requirements, and the implementation timeline.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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