Enterprise The Idaho
Oneida County's News Since 1879 Malad City, Idaho
October 24, 2024 |Vol. 144 No. 42
Voting Equipment test to be held at Event Center Oneida County Clerk Lon Colton has announced that a “Logic and Accuracy” test of the county’s ballots and equipment is scheduled for October 28 at 7:00 p.m. at the Event Center. Colton expressed his hope that the test would be well-attended, and that voters would avail themselves of the opportunity to see firsthand how the process is conducted and ask any questions that they may have about the process or the equipment. Required by law, each county must conduct a logic and accuracy test (L&A) to verify that ballot coding and tabulators are tracking/reporting accurate information. The test is open to the public and given the interest in ballot and voting security voiced throughout the year by members of the public, it is hoped that many will want to participate. Again according to Clerk Colton, “it is an opportunity to share election information with the public and answer their questions. The process includes pre-marking a test deck of ballots in a uniform manner by assigning each candidate a vote based on the order they appear on the ballot. All candidates whose names appear in the first position in their contest will receive one vote, the second candidate receives two votes and so forth. This process goes through the fifth voter receiving five votes at which point we start back to one vote for the sixth candidate and repeat. We then cast the ballots and read the results to verify that they match how the ballot was marked.” In addition to helping to provide confidence and transparency in the tabulation process, the event is also designed to address any questions participants from the public may have about any part of the process, and will therefore involve an informational/educational component. “We will begin with a short discussion on the process and how the testing will be completed,” Colton explained. “Teams will be assembled from those in attendance to help verify the test ballots and then process these ballots in the DS200 tabulators. Once all test ballots have been tabulated, we
Elections will be held as usual at the Oneida County Events Center on November 5, with a demonstration on October 28.
will compare the results with the actual ballots for accuracy.” Rather than just observe from a distance, Colton is planning to give interested members of the public an upclose view of the process from start to finish. “I plan on allowing the public to inspect the test ballots and help feed them in the tabulators. I think that hands on will help them feel better and show that there is nothing being withheld from them,” he said. While the test is required by law, it also potentially addresses some of the persistent misinformation about election security that generally increases as elections approach, especially those during a presidential election year. “If I can answer questions and explain the process our office goes through to prepare for and conduct an election it may help relieve the concerns that ballots are tampered with or that persons can vote twice. I will be addressing mail ballot processes and hope to set voters at ease as they find how we verify signatures on all of the ballot requests and returned ballots that come in,” Colton said. When it has been audited in the past by elections officials, the county has been affirmed to be following proper procedures with regard to process and protocol. Instances of voter fraud are extremely low across the state, and
do not have a significant history in the county. “Oneida has a history of not getting too excited about voting for elections within our county other than county offices. We have a relatively small turnout for library, fire or school districts for the most part. We do a lot better in a presidential year and I anticipate or hope for a better than 80% turnout this November, however it will realistically be closer to 70% to 75%. Most of our elections other than presidential we will have a voter turnout of about 28%, plus or minus,” Colton said. Voter turnout at even the 70% level is substantially higher than national levels, and speaks to the civic-minded nature of voters in the county. The high proportion of seniors, veterans, and involved community members correlates with the demographic groups that typically vote at high levels. This year’s general election will take place on Tuesday November 5, and will not feature many county offices. The race for Oneida County Sheriff will include the write-in candidacy of Dave Murphy, who qualified for writein status against Doug Williams, who won the Republican primary earlier in the year. Early voting is underway through Friday, November 1 at early voting locations.
Man who died in a car crash near Malad identified, Go Fund Me set up Last week Francisco Julian Medina, 34, of Pocatello died in a crash near Malad. He was a passenger in a 2004 GMC Sierra that reportedly overcorrected near mile marker 3 while southbound on I-15, causing it to flip and come to rest on its roof. The driver was air lifted to Portneuf Medical Center, while Medina passed away as a result of his injuries. Oneida County Coroner, Brad Horsley, said Medina died due to trauma caused by the accident. While Medina lived in the Pocatello area, his sister Shannell Hernandez stated that she had a lot of special memories of camping with her brother at the Malad summit. Shannell stated: “I’d like to say that Junior and I had a special bond. We were the closest out of any of my siblings. He and I always had a close relationship and I’m so sad he won’t get the chance to meet his nephew when he’s born, but I’m glad he got to see me when I was pregnant. He would make fun of me because he thought it was weird to see me like that, but then he’d laugh and reassure me that being a parent was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and that he knew I’d be okay too.” Shannell adds that “one of his greatest qualities was that he didn’t care about anyone’s opinions of him. He
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NEWS IN BRIEF
Debate over cost of Death Row in Idaho
The cost of maintaining Idaho’s execution facilities for death row inmates has become a matter of discussion again, as the execution of inmate Thomas Creech nears… again. The first attempted execution of Creech, who was given a death warrant earlier in the year, was stopped as medical staff were unable to locate a suitable vein within an hour of attempting to do so. As a result, the state director of prisons made changes to use a “central line IV” in the case of a similar situation in the future. Creech has been on death row for 50 years for murder. The delay has allowed for more appeals to be filed, but the warrant has nonetheless been issued again. The state has planned sometime in the future to begin construction of a firing squad facility, though the price tag for creating such an addition has been conservatively estimated at more than a half million dollars more than the 1 million that has already been determined to be needed.
Early Voting Underway through November 1st for General Election
Early voting for the November 5, 2024 General Election is underway across the state for Idaho counties that offer early voting. Early voting goes through Friday, November 1st. You can find information about early voting by county at https://voteidaho.gov/idaho-general-election/#earlyVoting. Any eligible resident of a county can vote at any early voting location within that county. If you are not registered to vote, you can register and vote at early voting by bringing an accepted form of photo ID and proof of residence. “Early voting offers Idahoans the flexibility to vote on their own schedule, making it easy for voters to participate in this important election. Whether you choose to vote early, by absentee, or on Election Day, make sure your voice is heard on November 5th,” said Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane.
Make sure to attach hunting tags correctly
Fish and Game officials are reminding hunters that it is important to follow hunting regulations in order to avoid being receive citations as a result of carelessness. Improperly notched tags are one of the most common violations seen by conservation officers during the hunting season. As a reminder, after animals are harvested, hunters need to validate the hunting tag by completely removing the correct day and month, and attaching it to the largest portion of the carcass.
Francisco Medina with his sister Shannell as kids.
always stayed genuine to who he was as a person and didn’t change who he was.” As the family begins to share memories and thoughts of their departed son and brother, they also face the challenges involved in the aftermath of his passing. In order to help with some of the expenses involved and the needs of his three year old son Estevan, the family has set up a Go Fund Me account, which can be accessed at gofund.me/dbe25c64. As of Tuesday, about half of the $7,000 goal had been raised.
Francisco Medina with nephews. Medina was killed in a car accident south of Malad last week.
Medina’s obituary said he was “known for his vivacious spirit, and was always the life of the party, bringing laughter to those around him with his quirky jokes…Francisco will forever be remembered for his infectious laughter, his love for his family, and the joy he brought to everyone around him. Medina loved basketball, football, and fishing but his greatest love was his three-year-old son.” “Shannell said it all, he will be missed by everyone,” his mother Gloria Perez said.
INSIDE THE ENTERPRISE Community Notes................................Pg. 2 Brucellosis Program Changes.............Pg. 3 Puzzles................................................Pg. 6
Looking Back.......................................Pg. 7 Obituaries............................................Pg. 9 Sports........................................... Pg. 11-12
Haunted Museum open Oct 26 at ISU
Idaho State University Haunted Science Laboratory will be open to the public on Saturday, October 26, from 4 to 9 p.m. at the Bannock County Event Center, Commercial Building B, just north of the Pocatello Downs Grandstand. The Haunted Science Lab features a Van DeGraaf generator, lasers, and multiple educational and interactive science activities designed to delight, fright, and educate kids of all ages. Some exhibits use the same principles as Disneyland’s Haunted Science Mansion, except they are explained. The cost to attend is $5 per person or $10 per family (limit 6), and cash only. All proceeds from the event go toward Kiwanis-supported charities that benefit children in Southeast Idaho.