Audit Confirms Accuracy of Ada County Gubernatorial Primary Tallies

The Idaho Secretary of State’s Office confirmed Wednesday that a hand-count audit of Ada County ballots from the May 19 gubernatorial primary matched the county’s original election night results, offering an additional layer of verification before official certification later this month.

The audit, conducted June 3 at the Ada County Elections Office warehouse, brought together teams of four auditors — including accounting students from Boise State University — who manually compared paper ballots against the county-reported totals from election night. The process began at 9 a.m. and wrapped up in roughly two and a half hours.

Process and Oversight

Auditors reviewed ballots from selected precincts, batches of absentee ballots, and a batch of early voting ballots. Ada County Sheriff’s Office deputies monitored the proceedings throughout. The audit was open to the public and the press and was also livestreamed for remote viewers.

Secretary of State Phil McGrane framed the exercise as a public trust effort, saying the week’s audits are “about transparency and building voter confidence.” He added that the meticulous hand-counting process allows officials to demonstrate that reported results on election night accurately reflect what voters submitted.

Part of a Statewide Audit Schedule

Ada County’s review was the fifth in a sequence of eight post-election audits being conducted across the state. Gooding, Lemhi, and Franklin counties were audited Monday, and Canyon County completed its audit Tuesday. The remaining counties — Butte and Power on Thursday, followed by Owyhee on Friday — will finish out the statewide review by the end of the week.

The eight counties were selected through a random drawing held May 29 at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise.

The audit process reflects a broader push for election transparency that has gained traction in Idaho over recent years. Close contests, like the Madison County commissioner race where Randy Parkinson survived a 34-vote primary margin, underscore why audit mechanisms matter to voters and candidates alike.

Legal Foundation and Costs

The audits are required under Senate Bill 1274, which the Idaho Legislature passed unanimously in 2022. Governor Brad Little signed the measure into law, establishing the post-election audit framework now in use. A fiscal note attached to that legislation estimated the maximum cost of conducting audits at around $50,000 per primary and general election cycle.

Certification on the Horizon

A detailed audit report will be presented to the Idaho Board of Canvassers at its scheduled meeting on June 9, when primary election results across the state are set to become official. That certification date serves as the formal endpoint for the 2026 primary cycle.

The gubernatorial primary is among the most closely watched contests being certified. Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon is also seeking a third term leading the state GOP, adding another layer of interest to the broader political landscape emerging from the May primary.

What It Means for Election Integrity

For Idaho officials, the audit program represents a practical response to public skepticism about election administration — one rooted in transparency rather than legal challenge. By involving university students, opening the process to media coverage, and livestreaming proceedings, the Secretary of State’s Office has built a verification model that operates in plain view.

With the Board of Canvassers meeting set for June 9, Idaho voters and candidates will have a final, certified result within days — backed by a paper-trail audit process that, in Ada County at least, found no discrepancies worth noting.