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Senate updates official‑ballot authentication options to include stamps, watermarks or unique IDs
Summary
House Bill 3‑10 passed the Idaho Senate March 10, 2025, updating the official‑ballot identification statute to allow counties multiple methods (stamping, watermarking, security paper, holograms, randomized identifiers) to authenticate ballots and help prevent duplication.
The Idaho Senate passed House Bill 3‑10 on March 10, 2025, clarifying and modernizing official‑ballot authentication methods to reflect changes in election administration since 2013.
Sponsor remarks and support: Senator Taves, presenting the bill, said it “makes a couple of key changes” including removing outdated technology references and providing counties a menu of options — stamping ballots when issued, watermarking, using security paper, holograms, or randomized unique identifiers — to authenticate ballots and deter duplication. He added that the bill “also has the full support of secretary of state.”
What the bill does: The measure updates section 34‑901 of Idaho Code and allows counties flexibility in anti‑duplication approaches while clarifying that hand counts must rely on stamped ballots when issued.
Vote and next steps: The Senate vote was unanimous on the chamber floor; the roll call showed 35 in favor and none opposed. The title was approved and the bill will be returned to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
Context: Sponsors described the bill as a targeted, technology‑neutral update to existing law that does not mandate a single approach for counties but offers standard options to preserve ballot integrity and keep statute aligned with current election practices.
