Absentee voting is taking place and early voting starts today in Ada County for the November 2nd elections! This year’s ballot includes three City Council seats and a proposed West Ada School District Levy. In addition, for some there will also be candidates for the West Ada School Board. Once again, Meridian City Hall is an early voting location and although I prefer to vote on election day, this is a valuable resource for many offered by the Ada County Clerk. There’s a lot to consider this election season, and I encourage you to have your voice heard and vote.  

This last week, the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council held a forum where the City Council candidates let us know where they stand on several topics. After the City Council Candidate Forum, the Mayor’s Senior Advisory Board hosted a West Ada School Board Forum for the candidates running for West Ada Trustees. I appreciate the leadership of these two groups in bringing these forums to the community. Their efforts provide voters an opportunity to hear from the candidates themselves on the issues. It is an important element of our election process and they are helping to fulfill the need here in Meridian. An additional thank you to Nate Shelman with 670 KBOI for moderating these events. You can watch both forums by clicking here or visiting the City’s website. To view a list of candidates for the Meridian City Council, visit here.

The West Ada School District will also have a levy for voters to consider on election day which proposes to renew a two-year supplemental levy of $14M per year. A supplemental levy is a levy allowed under Idaho Code that permits school districts to ask voters to provide additional funding for school district operational cost. We have invited Dr. Derick Bub, West Ada’s Superintendent, to our next Town Hall scheduled for this Wednesday, October 20 beginning 6:00pm at City Hall. Dr. Bub will provide more information about the upcoming Supplemental Levy. If you are unable to join in person you can tune in live by visiting www.meridiancity.org/live.

Your right to vote is fundamental to the liberty of our country and as we saw in the 2020 elections, every vote matters. This is our opportunity as residents to determine the future of our community. I encourage you to take time to educate yourselves on the candidates and issues that will be on the ballot. Whether you are new to the area or a lifelong resident, you can visit www.voteidaho.gov to learn about where and how you can vote — be it early, by mail, or the day of at your designated polling location. See you at the polls!