McGrane references graphics and data during this City Club of Idaho Falls presentation. The data can be accessed using the following links:
View your sample ballot
Lobbying in 2025
https://voteidaho.gov/data-and-dashboards/lobbying-in-2025/
Campaign Spending & Independent Expenditures
https://voteidaho.gov/data-and-dashboards/spending-and-expenditures/
In this City Club of Idaho Falls program, Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane, a self‑described “elections nerd” with nearly two decades of experience in Idaho’s election system, walks the audience through the mechanics and realities of voting in Idaho ahead of the May 2026 primary. He highlights tools like VoteIdaho.gov as a one‑stop shop for voter information, explains early and absentee voting trends, and uses statewide data dashboards to show how often legislative races are decided by margins as small as a few votes, underscoring why individual participation still matters.
McGrane then turns to the “juicier” topic of money in politics, detailing how Idaho legislative races in 2024 saw about $17 million in total spending, including roughly $7.6 million raised directly by candidates and the rest from independent expenditures. He explains how out‑of‑state political action committees are increasingly involved in Idaho politics, including school‑choice battles, and how large amounts of negative “against” spending have targeted key legislative leaders and helped make some races among the most expensive in state history. Drawing on campaign finance and lobbying reports, he describes rising costs to run for office, large amounts of out‑of‑state negative advertising in pivotal races, and the growing role of high‑dollar out‑of‑state lobbying operations, while also reflecting on Idaho’s changing political landscape, the legacy of leaders like Dirk Kempthorne, and the enduring experiment in self‑governance that depends on informed, engaged voters.