By Christina Lords | Editor-in-Chief

Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane discusses his presidential caucus experiences outside of his caucus site at Whittier Elementary in Boise on March 2, 2024. (Photo by Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun)

ELECTION 2026

Trump administration threatens to criminally prosecute Idaho election officials if noncitizens vote

By Kyle Pfannenstiel

The Trump administration warned Idaho’s top election official that local and state election officials could be criminally prosecuted if they don’t stop noncitizens from voting in the federal 2026 midterm elections.

Idaho election officials have detailed to the Justice Department the state’s work to purge noncitizens from the state’s voter rolls.

In a December email, obtained through a public records request, an Idaho election official told federal officials that after verifying citizenship for all registered Idaho voters, the Secretary of State’s Office flagged about 30 possible noncitizens to be investigated.

The number of suspected noncitizens on Idaho’s voter roll referred to prosecution got even smaller from there. Idaho State Police referred about a dozen people to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which is part of the U.S. Justice Department, for possible prosecution, the state official wrote.

It appears that none of those people flagged in Idaho’s audit have been prosecuted.

A worker at El Ada Community Action Partnership Food Pantry in Garden City helps load food items into a client's car in this Nov. 6, 2025, file photo. A joint effort among the state, nonprofits and churches is aiming to connect Idaho families in need to services such as food banks near them. (Photos by Laura Guido/Idaho Capital Sun)

LIVING

Need help? Idaho state health agency, nonprofits, churches collaborate to create resource network

By Laura Guido

An Idaho family searching for help with rental assistance, affordable child care or help finding new clothes for work may not know where to begin. 

Laura Denner, administrator of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Division of Family and Community Partnerships, and her team want to ensure that there’s “no wrong door” for families to access help. This desire led to the Idaho Community Resource Network.

The Swan Falls Dam is located along the Snake River about 20 miles south of Kuna, Idaho. (Photo by Christina Lords/Idaho Capital Sun)

ENVIRONMENT

Snake River water trust users won’t face water curtailment in Idaho this summer

By Clark Corbin

This year, water levels threatened to fall below the minimum flow requirement for the first time since the 1984 agreement was reached, state officials said.

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