By Secretary of State Phil McGrane
Securing the Vote, Then and Now
This week, I had the chance to tour Ada County’s newly renovated and expanded elections facility. Years ago, as we shifted from voting on punch cards to paper ballots, the county needed a space that could keep up with the demands of modern elections. Back then, I helped identify the facility (a former chemicals manufacturer’s warehouse) and worked to make it election-ready. A lot has changed since those early days. But one thing hasn’t: the room where ballots are counted has never been connected to the internet. That was true then, and it’s still true today.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and our office works closely with federal and state partners to keep our systems secure. We have robust protections for our data and records, and we actively work to prevent and combat threats. We also partner with counties to provide resources to ensure Custer County has the same protection as Canyon County.
Yet surprisingly, many of our strongest election security measures don’t involve computers at all. You can see this in Idaho’s election practices outlined in the 12 principles for Idaho Elections: requiring ID for voter registration, maintaining accurate voter rolls, using paper ballots with auditable trails, verifying every absentee ballot signature, in addition to keeping tabulation systems completely offline.
Earning Confidence, One Vote at a Time
At the heart of our work is a fundamental principle: one person, one vote. Idahoans should know their vote counts. They should be confident that only eligible voters can participate in Idaho elections and that all ballots cast are counted accurately. In Idaho, I’m proud of the work we do that ensures our elections are easy, secure, and accurate.
Phil McGrane
About Phil McGrane
Phil McGrane was elected Idaho’s twenty-eighth Secretary of State and took office on January 2, 2023. McGrane served as elected Clerk of Ada County from 2019-2022. McGrane holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy, a juris doctorate, and a Master of Public Administration. As a fourth-generation Idahoan, Phil has dedicated his career to making elections in the state of Idaho accessible, secure and transparent.
