For Immediate Release: November 25, 2025
(Boise, Idaho) – Following the hand count of ballots in Elmore County, Secretary of State Phil McGrane and a team from the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office returned to Mountain Home on Tuesday to continue the investigation into the reporting discrepancies identified in the November 4, 2025 Consolidated Election.
To better understand what caused the original discrepancy, election officials re-ran the ballots through the same tabulation machines used on election night. The machine totals matched the hand count, confirming that the equipment functioned properly. Through further investigation, it was determined that due to procedural and operational errors, a total of 388 ballots had been processed without any results being saved or reported on election night. These errors occurred in three precincts: Glenns Ferry, Mountain Home 1, and Mountain Home 8. Following both the hand and machine recounts of votes, the Election Day outcomes from all elections in Elmore County remained the same after the recounts.
“Our top priority was getting accurate results to voters and candidates, and our team worked quickly to ensure that happened,” said Secretary McGrane. “Just as important was understanding what went wrong. After re-running the ballots through the same machines and reviewing the process, I’m confident the equipment functioned correctly. The issue was procedural, not technical. We have already begun reviewing what training we can provide to ensure this does not happen again.”
The results of the hand count will be canvassed and certified by the Elmore County Board of Commissioners at their meeting scheduled for Wednesday, November 26, at 9 a.m. After further review, the total number of ballots cast has been confirmed at 3,208, which now includes the 388 previously uncounted ballots. This is slightly higher than previously reported due to a calculation error in the total number of ballots reported; the prior reported results remain the same.
The Secretary of State and County Clerk will also seek judicial review of the election, as outlined in Idaho Code 34-220, ahead of the December 2, 2025 deadline. Judicial review provides legal review and, if necessary, a process for ordering a new election.
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.
