This past election cycle was worth noting on many levels, including: candidate diversity; high number of engaged voters exercising their constitutional right; and the need for immediate reform on how elections are conducted in some jurisdictions.
We are fortunate in Latah County to have experienced the first two and not the last.
Now, before someone reading this blows a gasket, the county did have a bit of a log jam at its single Moscow polling place, but it was minor compared to other areas.
The issue was a lot of people wanted to vote; more than 71 percent of registered voters in the county. That's a large increase over most midterm elections.
Here's the kicker: Idaho is near the top of states, districts and territories in how liberally it conducts voter registration efforts and elections.
It's easy to vote in Idaho for a resident who is 18 or older. And that may have caused some of the extended waits in a line outside the polling place at the county fairgrounds.
Idaho, through its 44 counties, offers early voting, absentee voting and same-day voter registration. The latter option was repeated often by candidates, door-knockers and the media in an effort to let folks know how easy it is to vote.
Apparently, it worked, because a lot of folks braved the elements to stand in line to register - some probably longer than the average wait for the doors to open at the local big box in the early a.m. Black Friday.
In hindsight, the election should have been conducted with at least one other polling place, as it has been during presidential election years.
Latah County Clerk/Auditor Henrianne Westberg, her staff and dozens from the community spend up to 14 hours on Election Day manning precinct tables to ensure the whole process runs fairly and efficiently. And they did so this time, too.
Within hours of the polls closing, Westberg went to work on finding another suitable polling place to alleviate the pressure. We can reasonably expect a voter turnout record in 2020, so might as well prepare for it.
In the meantime, consider voting early at the courthouse; it's easier than doing so on Election Day. Get involved and familiarize yourself with the issues and candidates - an informed voter is an awesome weapon. And vote no matter how long the lines or perceived inconvenience. A lot of people shed blood and lost their lives for that right.
