Every vote matters. Make sure your voice is heard by heading to the polls before they close at 8:00 p.m. Visit VoteIdaho.gov to find your polling place.
Not sure who’s on your ballot? Visit the Idaho Republican Party website to learn more about our Republican candidates for federal, statewide, and legislative offices.
And above all, vote NO on Proposition 1 to defend the unborn and send a clear message that Idaho values life.
November 2, 2026 (Cover Image Credit: Gem State Chronicle)
Go Vote!
By: Gem State Chronicle Publisher Brian Almon
Brian Almon
It’s time to vote. There are too many things at stake in this election for you to sit it out. You might be frustrated with national politics—maybe you think President Trump has gone too far, or maybe you think he hasn’t gone far enough. Maybe you’re irritated about all those crooks in Washington DC. But you still need to vote.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, the Ada County Board of Commissioners was majority Democratic. They canceled the Western Idaho Fair and allowed the Central District Board of Health to impose a mask mandate on citizens. That year, we elected Rod Beck and Ryan Davidson to the commission, who promptly restored the fair and put Raúl Labrador on the Board of Health, ending the mask mandate.
They also cut taxes as well!
Both Rod and Ryan are on the ballot in Ada County this year as well. Whether we continue with a frugal county government that believes in individual liberty, or one that sees democratic socialism as a good start, depends on you turning out to vote.
Proposition 1 would legalize abortion in Idaho. Despite proponents’ claims that it’s only a modest expansion of exceptions, Prop 1 is written in such a way as to legalize abortion potentially into the ninth month of pregnancy, as well as supersede our laws regarding parental notification.
Polls and prediction markets suggest Prop 1 is doomed, but once again, that only matters if you show up.
We also need a strong showing on our legislative, statewide, and federal races. Now is not the time to complain about the Republicans on your ballot. That time was before the primary last May, and will come again in the spring of 2028. Right now, our assignment is to defeat the Democrats and the socialists who want to radically transform our society away from the principles of our Founding Fathers.
Gov. Brad Little is being challenged by a far-left Democrat, as well as a supposed independent who while on our Supreme Court wrote that the right to abortion is “fundamental”. Meanwhile, Gov. Little has signed countless good bills while maintaining a growing economy in our state. Is he perfect? No. Is he the best option on the ballot right now? Absolutely.
Sen. Jim Risch is being challenged by another supposed independent, this time one who was the Democratic House Minority Caucus Chair just two years ago, and launched his campaign for Senate mere days after appearing on stage beside Bernie Sanders and AOC. Whatever disagreements you as a conservative might have with Sen. Risch, they pale in comparison to our differences with Todd Achilles.
If you’re not voting Republican because the candidate “isn’t good enough,” you will not:
Teach the GOP a lesson
Lower gas prices
Get a more Christian nation
But you will:
Get a worse candidate next time
Lose the local races
Give people who hate you more power
The old neoconservative faction of the GOP is hoping for a Republican wipeout tomorrow so they can say “I told you so” as they try to drag us back to Romney-era Republican impotence. Meanwhile, whatever you want to call the faction led by Tucker Carlson and others who have gone off their rockers lately wants to see a wipeout as well, so they too can say “I told you so” as they try to purge the party of anyone even remotely capable of governing.
I get a lot of questions about judges. With regard to the magistrates, I have nothing to tell you. I’m working on ways to deliver information regarding the judges on your ballot, but I’m not quite there yet. However, I will be voting for Greg Woodard for the Fourth Judicial District. Not only did his opponent sign the petition to legalize abortion in Idaho, he just sent a joint mailer with the most liberal ACHD candidates, including one who was a Bernie Sanders campaign chair in 2016.
Speaking of ACHD, if you live in Ada County, vote for Greg Ferch and Sean Sundwell. Whether you live in Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Star, or Kuna, decisions about your roads and highways are made by ACHD commissioners, so this is an important election. Do you want liberal commissioners who vote to shrink busy thoroughfares in favor of more bike lanes, or conservatives who want to make cars move again?
Your mission is to go vote for the best candidate on the ballot. As Nick Freitas said [Sunday]:
“I won’t vote for the “lesser of two evils!”
Says the person who if they were on the ballot themselves would still be the “lesser of two evils” to someone.
Get over yourself.
Go vote. Bring ten friends and neighbors with you. Let’s crush Prop 1, crush the left, and keep Idaho Idaho.
Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Gem State Chronicle. I encourage our readers to visit their website and consider subscribing. Find this and other informative articles at the Gem State Chronicle here: About – Gem State Chronicle
(U.S. Department of Justice Press Release, November 3, 2026)
One of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) most important missions is ensuring election integrity, supporting free and fair elections, and protecting the right to vote for U.S. citizens across the United States. The DOJ has sent election monitors in support of this mission since the enactment of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 across all Administrations.
Today, the DOJ will further this mission by engaging in its largest monitoring effort in history—with approximately 1,000 election monitors and observers deployed, and, for the first time, in all 50 states. The effort is coordinated by the Civil Rights Division. Monitors will include personnel from the Division, other DOJ divisions/components, U.S. Attorney’s Offices and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management. Throughout Election Day, Division personnel will maintain contact with state and local election officials.
“Election integrity has been one of the top priorities for this Administration and this Division,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice. “I am very proud we are deploying the largest monitoring effort in DOJ history, and pursuing transparency for elections in an assertive and nondiscriminatory manner.”
Election monitors will be checking for compliance with the federal voting rights statutes that fall within the jurisdiction of the Division. The Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and Civil Rights Acts.
The Division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin, or religion.
Throughout the day and week, Division personnel will be available to receive questions and complaints from the public related to federal voting rights laws. If you have a question or complaint, please call our election issues hotline at 1-800-253-3931, email us at VEM@usdoj.gov, or submit a complaint through our website at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report.
Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Division’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 1-800-514-0301 or 1-833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through our ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted.
To learn more about what the DOJ and the Civil Rights Division has done historically to protect the vote and ensure free and fair elections, go to www.civilrights.justice.gov/electionintegrity.
We intend to monitor or observe in the following jurisdictions:
(City of Pocatello Press Release, October 30, 2026)
The City of Pocatello is inviting community members to provide input on a proposed ordinance that would prohibit the sale of kratom products within city limits. The public hearing is Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 6 p.m. in the Pocatello City Council Chambers, 911 North 7th Avenue.
The proposal was presented and discussed during the October 8, 2026, City Council Work Session. The public hearing is an opportunity for residents, businesses, and other interested parties to share their perspectives before a decision is made.
For more information about City Council meetings, visit pocatello.gov.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is the policy of the City of Pocatello to offer its public programs, services, and meetings in a manner that is readily accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. If you are disabled and require an accommodation, please contact Skyler Beebe with two (2) business days’ advance notice at sbeebe@pocatello.gov; 208.234.6248; or 5815 South 5th Avenue, Pocatello, Idaho. Advance notification within this guideline will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility.
(Idaho Farm Bureau Press Release, October 30, 2026)
Pocatello–Medal of Honor recipient and former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore “Sal” Giunta will speak at the 14th Annual Farm Bureau Salute to Idaho Veterans event on Friday, November 6.
Giunta served two combat tours in Afghanistan with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, completing a total of 27 months of deployment. On October 25, 2007, his patrol was ambushed by a heavily armed and well-coordinated insurgent force in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley.
Under intense enemy fire, Giunta rescued his wounded squad leader, fought his way toward fellow soldiers who had become separated from the unit, and confronted two insurgents carrying away a wounded American soldier. Giunta recovered his fellow soldier and provided medical aid while his squad established security around them.
For his extraordinary courage and selfless leadership, Giunta received the Medal of Honor during a White House ceremony on November 16, 2010. He became the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor for service in Iraq or Afghanistan, and the first living service member to receive the nation’s highest military decoration for valor since the Vietnam War.
Giunta later entrusted his Medal of Honor to the 173rd Airborne Brigade, emphasizing that the medal belonged not to him alone, but to all those who served alongside him. His other military decorations include the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, and Army Achievement Medal. He retired from the Army in 2011 and is the author of Living with Honor.
Giunta’s story reflects extraordinary courage under fire as well as humility, service and an enduring commitment to honoring the sacrifices of his fellow soldiers.
Veterans, active-duty service members and their families are invited to attend this free event. In addition to Giunta’s keynote address, the Salute to Idaho Veterans will include a traditional flag ceremony, a musical tribute featuring military branch hymns performed by the Idaho Falls Brass Quintet, a complimentary luncheon, a veteran slideshow, free professional portraits, and the presentation of a commemorative challenge coin to all veterans and Armed Forces personnel in attendance.
Now in its 14th year, the Salute continues Farm Bureau Insurance Company of Idaho’s tradition of honoring the service and sacrifice of Idaho’s veterans.
“We are deeply honored to welcome Staff Sergeant Sal Giunta to this year’s Salute to Idaho Veterans,” said Todd Argall, CEO of Farm Bureau Insurance. “His courage in battle, his humility, and his unwavering commitment to those who served beside him embody the very best of military service. We hope this event offers veterans and their families a meaningful opportunity to come together and feel the gratitude and respect our community holds for them.”
The Salute will be held at Farm Bureau’s Pocatello campus, located at 275 Tierra Vista Drive. The program begins at 10:30 a.m. with a meet and greet and concludes at 1 p.m. with complimentary portraits by professional photographer Deloy Stuart.
Idaho’s Law Already Protects Mothers. Prop 1 is Dangerously Extreme.
By: Attorney General Raúl Labrador
Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador
If you listen to the Proposition 1 ads, you would think Idaho law has no exceptions. You would think the exceptions do not work. You would think women are dying in Idaho hospitals because doctors are too afraid to treat them.
None of those claims are true.
Idaho’s law is clear. We want to save the mother, and we want to save the child. When a pregnancy puts a mother’s life in jeopardy, Idaho law allows her doctor to act. The law does not tell a doctor to wait until a woman is at the moment of death. It says that if a doctor has a good faith belief that her condition can lead to her death, he can perform an abortion. The Idaho Supreme Court clarified this standard in 2023 when it declared there is no immediacy requirement. A doctor does not have to believe the mother will die tomorrow or in the next few hours. If her condition may lead to her death, they can treat her now.
So why are some doctors confused about the law? Because they refuse to study the law. Do not take my word for it. Take the word of the doctor who sued the State of Idaho claiming that Idaho law prevented him from providing proper care to his patients. We asked him under oath whether he had read the law before he sent pregnant women out of state. He testified he had not. Whether he asked a lawyer to explain it to him? The answer was no. Whether he read the Idaho Supreme Court’s decision explaining the law? Also, no. He sued the state of Idaho claiming our law did not allow him to care for his patients, and he had never bothered to learn what the law allows.
Most Idaho doctors understand the law. Some have told us they wish it were more permissive. That is an honest policy disagreement. But a doctor who refused to read the law is not proof the law is impossible to understand and follow.
Now consider what Proposition 1 proponents claim Idaho law does and what it actually does. Its sponsors say it simply restores Roe v. Wade. That is not true.
Under Roe, abortion was allowed until viability, the point when a child can survive outside the womb. Proposition 1 rewrites that definition. Under Prop 1, a child is not viable until he or she can survive outside the womb “without extraordinary medical measures.” The initiative never defines that phrase. The sponsors say that definition reflects the medical community’s standards. It does not. In fact, the phrase is borrowed from California’s abortion law, which never defines it. A child who needs a feeding tube or a ventilator may or may not count as viable at all, because the initiative never says whether that care is “extraordinary.” Even under Roe, the viability of that child was clear.
Another problem created by Prop 1 is that it makes it clear that if the language of the proposition conflicts with any other law in Idaho, Prop 1 trumps other Idaho laws. For example, there has been a debate about parental consent because the sponsors say Prop 1 leaves that portion of Idaho law untouched. It is true that the initiative does not directly repeal parental consent. What it does is create an expansive new right of abortion that overrides every other Idaho law, leaving the question for a judge to decide later. You know there will be lawsuits over whether parental rights still exist in Idaho. If that right is found to be in conflict with the expansive right to abortion, a judge will rule that Prop 1 supersedes existing parental rights. The sponsors were warned about this potential conflict before submitting the initiative and chose not to fix it. That tells you everything you need to know about their intent.
Finally, and most problematic, the sponsors say they only want to insert a health exception into Idaho law. Please ask what “health” means to the people who will interpret it. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has indicated there is no such thing as an elective abortion under their definition of health, and that ALL abortions are medically indicated. If every abortion is medically indicated, then a health exception is not a limit at all. It is abortion on demand, which is their ultimate goal.
Idaho’s current law protects unborn life, with exceptions for reported rape, incest, and the life of the mother. Proposition 1 would replace that law with something far more extreme, written in words so broad that its own sponsors cannot define its central terms.
I oppose Proposition 1 because it is too extreme for Idaho. Read it for yourself, and join me in voting NO on November 3rd.
Tomorrow Is Election Day! Plus, Last Chance for My Gun Giveaway!
By: ID Senator Tammy Nichols
ID Senator Tammy Nichols (Photo Credit: Tammy Nichols)
I want to take a moment to remind everyone just how important it is to get out and vote!
Voting is one of the most important rights and responsibilities we have as Americans. It’s our opportunity to have a voice in the decisions that affect our families, our communities, and the future of our state.
Every election matters, and sometimes races and local issues are decided by just a handful of votes. Your vote truly does matter!
For me, this election also raises a larger question about the direction of our country and state. I believe strongly in individual freedom, limited government, personal responsibility, and free enterprise. I am concerned about policies that move us toward greater government control and what I see as socialism. These are important differences in governing philosophy, and voters deserve to understand where candidates stand.
This election includes important decisions on statewide offices, legislative seats, constitutional amendments, Proposition 1, and local issues that directly affect our communities.
I encourage everyone to take the time to be informed, understand what’s on the ballot, and participate in the process.
Our representative form of government works best when citizens are engaged and make their voices heard. Don’t leave those decisions entirely up to someone else!
Here’s What You Need to Know:
Election Day: Tuesday, November 3
Polls are open: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Find your polling place and view your sample ballot:VoteIdaho.gov
Absentee ballots: Must be received by your county clerk by 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Voter Guide: Voter guides are available from my prior Substack.
If you haven’t voted yet, make a plan to get to the polls. And remind your family, friends, and neighbors that Election Day is here!
🎯 Last Chance to Enter My Gun Giveaway!
Election Day is also the final day of my gun giveaway!
The giveaway package includes a Smith & Wesson M&P 22X pistol, a suppressor, a hat, and a Gadsden flag!
A special thank you to Faith Outdoors for their generous donation and support of this giveaway!
If you’ve been meaning to enter or make a contribution, this is your last chance!
November 2, 2026 (Cover Photo Credit: City of Pocatello)
The City of Pocatello’s Road Construction & Traffic Report for the week of November 2, 2026, has been published and may be read here.
Highlights include:
Street sweepers are currently performing their regular sweeping schedule.
The Street Services crew will be patching potholes and curb lines throughout the City.
Traffic Operations crews are repainting crosswalks throughout the City.
Crews will be jetting and cleaning sewer mainlines throughout the City.
The Water Department will be working on the water main on W Wyeth St.
Demolition of the Monarch Building continues.
Work continues on the Benton Street Bridge, Johnny Creek’s Expanded Sewer Project, the Center Street Underpass, and the safety improvements in the area of Hiline Rd. and El Rancho Blvd.
Pocatello–Local book group “Patriots for Liberty & Constitution” plans to continue discussing Chapter 4 of Marshall Foster’s book, The American Covenant, at their weekly meeting tonight.
(Bannock County Press Release, October 30, 2026; Cover Photo Credit: Bannock County)
Bannock County Commissioners Meetings, November 2-6, 2026
Monday, November 2, 2026:
There are no meetings scheduled at this time.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026:
9:00 AM Business Meeting (action items)
10:00 AM MOU Mediation (potential action item)
Wednesday, November 4, 2026:
There are no meetings scheduled at this time.
Thursday, November 5, 2026:
9:00 AM Work Session and Claims Meeting (action items)
The agenda for this meeting will be updated on Monday, November 2, 2026.
Friday, November 6, 2026:
There are no meetings scheduled at this time.
(The information packets for the business meeting and work session can be found at http://www.bannockcounty.gov. Scroll down and click on “Agendas and Minutes” then click on the information packet for the meeting that you are interested in.)
About BOCC Meetings
The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is comprised of the three elected County Commissioners: Ernie Moser (District 1, Chair), Jeff Hough (District 2), and Ken Bullock (District 3).
The BOCC generally meets twice a week: regular business meetings are on Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m. and work sessions are on Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. Meetings are generally held in the Commissioner’s Chambers at 624 E Center, Room 212, Pocatello, Idaho, unless otherwise noted. Times subject to change within 15 minutes of stated time.
During these meetings, the BOCC may: approve contracts, expend funds, hear testimony, make decisions on land use cases and take care of other County matters, and are open to the public.
