Ada County election results reporting showed 57,581 early voters and 41,129 absentee ballots returned ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The Ada County Elections Office said those ballots still must reach election workers by 8 p.m. on Election Day to count.
Those totals came after the early voting period ran from Oct. 19th through Oct. 30th. The office said 58,657 absentee ballots had been issued, and 41,129 were returned for a 70.1% return rate.
Ada County absentee ballots
The absentee total gives voters a simple benchmark. More than 41,000 ballots are already back with the county, but 17,528 issued ballots had not been returned in the figures released by the office.
Absentee ballots can be returned by mail or to one of the Ada County drop box locations. That means the count before Election Day includes ballots already delivered to election workers, not ballots still sitting at home or in transit.
Oct. 19th through Oct. 30th
The early voting window in Ada County lasted 12 days, from Oct. 19th through Oct. 30th. During that stretch, 57,581 voters cast ballots early, giving the county a sizeable pre-Election Day total before votes on Election Day are added.
The report leaves one practical question hanging for readers: how much of Ada County’s final turnout will already be locked in before the polls close? The answer will depend on how many of the remaining absentee ballots make it back by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Election Day in Ada County
For voters who requested absentee ballots, the deadline is the point that matters most. The Ada County Elections Office said ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted, whether they come by mail or through an Ada County drop box location.
