Kootenai County Candidate Filing Moves to VoteIdaho Online, Opens March 2

Kootenai County candidate filing for county and precinct offices opens at 8:00 a.m. local time March 2 and closes at 5:00 p.m. local time March 13, with filings handled through the state’s VoteIdaho online portal instead of in-person trips to the Capitol in Boise. The county’s Candidate Filing Information page labels the contest as the May 19, 2026 Primary Election.

Statewide and legislative candidates filed earlier; the Secretary of State’s schedule set a separate window from 8:00 a.m. local time February 23 through 5:00 p.m. local time February 27. Secretary of State Phil McGrane said, “We are excited to kick off the election season with a streamlined process for candidates across Idaho. We look forward to the year ahead and appreciate Idahoans’ effort to seek public service.”

Most county-level positions are on the partisan May primary ballot in Kootenai County, including assessor, clerk, coroner, treasurer, and county commissioner seats in District 1 and District 2, plus precinct committeemen. The county web page includes a link labeled Click Here for Seats up for Election at the May 19, 2026 Primary Election for a full list of offices and district details.

Candidates who opt to submit petition signatures instead of paying a filing fee must use the Petition of Candidacy form from the county candidacy packet and bring collected signatures in-person to the Kootenai County Elections Office for verification. The county page states, “Candidates for County Office who are wishing to gather petition signatures, must utilize the Petition of Candidacy, which can be found in the packet of County Candidacy forms available here. These signatures must be brought in-person to the Elections Office for verification.” Precinct office candidates may file online or file in-person at the Elections Office, and the county provides a Precinct Candidate Filing Guide to assist filings.

Kootenai County’s administrative guidance instructs candidates to use the state portal for declarations of candidacy: “Candidate Filing will be conducted through the Idaho Secretary of State's Online Candidate Filing Portal: We ask all candidates to please utilize the online candidate filing system for filing their Declaration of Candidacy.” The statewide portal allows electronic submission and electronic payment in one place, eliminating the previous need to travel to Boise to file in person.

Key deadlines beyond the March 13 filing close include a County/Precinct Write-In Candidate Filing Deadline of March 20 at 5:00 p.m. and a County/Precinct Candidate Withdrawal Deadline of March 20 at 5:00 p.m., both listed on Kootenai County’s Candidate Filing Information page. Campaign materials must include the required disclosure wording; the county provides the example, “Paid for by {candidate's name}.”

Kootenai County’s site also prompts prospective candidates to create a website account to manage notifications and save form progress and points to County Candidate Filing Guide and Precinct Candidate Filing Guide packets for specific form versions. The Elections Office will verify petition signatures in person; candidates filing electronically must complete declaration and payment inside the posted filing windows to appear on the May 19, 2026 primary ballot.