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Read. Follow. Verify.Idaho limits property owner liability for polling places and protects tax exemptions
Last action · April 2, 2026: Signed by Governor on 04/02/26 Session Law Chapter 288 Effective: 07/01/2026
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What This Bill Does
Idaho Senate Bill 1389 protects property owners who permit their land or buildings to be used as polling places from liability for injuries sustained by visitors. It also ensures that tax-exempt properties used for voting or election-related purposes do not lose their tax-exempt status. The law takes effect on July 1, 2026.
Property owners and organizations offering their facilities for elections gain legal protections against injury lawsuits, and tax-exempt entities face no risk of losing their property tax exemptions due to election use.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Property owners
Property owners who allow their land or buildings to be used as polling places are granted immunity from premises liability regarding visitors.
Tax-exempt property owners
Organizations with tax-exempt property can host elections without risking the loss of their tax exemptions.
Key Facts
- Property owners who permit their property to be used as a polling place without charge owe no duty of care to keep the property safe for voters or warn of dangerous conditions.
- Installing safety signs, making safety modifications, or failing to maintain safety signs does not create liability for property owners.
- Permitting property use as a polling place does not confer the legal status of an invitee or licensee to visitors.
- Property owners permitting polling use do not assume liability for injury to persons or property caused by acts or omissions of visitors.
Show all 7 facts
- The use of tax-exempt property as a polling place or for election-related purposes shall not be deemed inconsistent with its tax-exempt status.
- Tax-exempt properties used for elections will not be impaired or disqualified from receiving or maintaining their exemption.
- The act takes effect and is in full force on and after July 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will property owners be sued if someone is injured while voting at their facility?
Can a non-profit or tax-exempt organization lose its tax status by hosting an election?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
16 actions- Apr 2, 2026EnrolledSigned by Governor on 04/02/26 Session Law Chapter 288 Effective: 07/01/2026
- Apr 1, 2026Reported delivered to Governor at 1:24 p.m. on 04/01/26
- Apr 1, 2026Reported signed by the Speaker & ordered delivered to Governor
- Apr 1, 2026Received from Senate; Signed by Speaker; Returned to Senate
- Mar 31, 2026Reported enrolled; signed by President; to House for signature of Speaker
- Mar 31, 2026CommitteeReturned From House Passed; referred to enrolling
Show 10 earlier actions
- Mar 30, 2026FloorRules Suspended: Ayes 66 Nays 0 Abs/Excd 4, read in full as required – PASSED - 66-0-4 AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Berch, Bingham, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon(Cannon), Cayler, Cheatum, Church, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dygert, Ehardt, Ehlers, Erickson, Fuhriman, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Green, Hall(Stone), Handy, Harris, Hawkins, Healey, Hill(Brown), Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Manwaring, Marmon, Mathias, Mendive, Mickelsen, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Nelsen, Petzke, Pickett, Pohanka, Price, Rasor, Raybould, Raymond, Redman, Rubel, Sauter, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts(Batt), Skaug, Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Vander Woude, Veile, Weber, Wheeler, Wisniewski, Mr. Speaker NAYS – None Absent – Egbert, Haws, McCann, Palmer Floor Sponsor - Raybould Title apvd - to Senate
- Mar 30, 2026Read second time; Filed for Third Reading
- Mar 27, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation, Filed for Second Reading
- Mar 23, 2026IntroducedRead First Time, Referred to State Affairs
- Mar 23, 2026Received from the Senate, Filed for First Reading
- Mar 20, 2026FloorRead third time in full – PASSED - 35-0-0 AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Bjerke(Bjerke), Blaylock, Burtenshaw, Carlson, Cook, Den Hartog, Foreman, Galloway, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Hart, Keyser, Kohl, Lakey, Lenney, Lent, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Rabe, Ricks, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Shippy, Taylor, Toews, VanOrden, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow, Woodward, Zito, Zuiderveld NAYS – None Absent and excused – None Floor Sponsor - Anthon Title apvd - to House
- Mar 19, 2026Read second time; filed for Third Reading
- Mar 18, 2026Reported out of Committee with Do Pass Recommendation; Filed for second reading
- Mar 17, 2026CommitteeReported Printed; referred to State Affairs
- Mar 16, 2026IntroducedIntroduced; read first time; referred to JR for Printing
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.idaho.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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