What to know about Election Day 2023

Where to access candidate information, voter registration and find results

By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff

Voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 7 for a range of city, school trustee and other district offices. 

Six candidates are running for three seats on the Sandpoint City Council: Amelia Boyd, Pam Duquette, Deb Ruehle (incumbent), Kyle Schreiber, Grant Simmons and Elle Susnis. Meanwhile, three candidates are vying for Sandpoint mayor: former Sandpoint City Planner Jeremy Grimm, current City Council President Kate McAlister and Frytz Mor.

In other contested races, Sharon Banning (incumbent), Tanya Becker (incumbent) and Tel Thompson are running for two seats on the Clark Fork City Council; Keith Congleton, Steven Haynes and Dan Parkin (incumbent) are running for two seats on the Dover City Council; and Pam Brockus, David Rost, Don Wells (incumbent) and Scott Wieman are competing for two seats on the East Hope City Council.

Mayoral candidates Deborah Field (East Hope); Nancy Lewis (Kootenai, incumbent); Steve Geiger (Ponderay, incumbent); and Jeff Connelly (Priest River, incumbent) are all unopposed, as are city council candidates in Kootenai, Oldtown, Ponderay and Priest River.

In the Lake Pend Oreille School District, two candidates are running for one open seat in Zone 1: Jenn McKnight and Scott Wood, while incumbent Trustee Chair Geraldine Lewis is running unopposed for reelection in Zone 4.

Three seats are up for grabs on the West Bonner County School District Board of Trustees, with Zone 1 candidates Alan Galloway and Margaret Hall (incumbent), Elizabeth Glazier and Troy Reinbold (incumbent) in Zone 3 and Carlyn Barton (incumbent) and Kathy Nash in Zone 5.

Elsewhere in the county, candidates are running mostly unopposed or as incumbents for commissioner positions in the Coolin Cavanaugh Bay, East Priest Lake, Northside, Sagle, Sam Owen Fire, Spirit Lake Timberlake, West Pend Oreille, West Priest Lake and Westside fire districts, as well as the Bay Drive Recreation District Board and West Bonner Cemetery Maintenance District. 

The Sandpoint Reader published a candidates’ questionnaire Oct. 12, featuring candidates in contested races for Sandpoint mayor and council, as well as LPOSD and WBCSD Board of Trustees. Find the questionnaire at sandpointreader.com/candidate-questionnaire-2023.

The Reader, KRFY 88.5 FM Panhandle Community Radio and SandpointOnline.com also hosted a forum with Sandpoint and LPOSD candidates Oct. 17, a recording of which is available to download at krfy.org/candidates-forum-airs-tonight or streaming at krfymedia.keokee.com/forum20231017.mp3.

Finally, KRFY aired a number of one-on-one interviews with candidates for Sandpoint city offices throughout the month of October, which can be streamed at krfy.org/podcast.

Early voting ends Friday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. and in-person voting runs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at polling places around the county.

To find your polling location, check registration status or register to vote, go to voteidaho.gov. Voters can register at the polls on Election Day. 

For more information, including results after the polls close, visit bonnercountyid.gov/departments/elections.

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