What passed, what didn't, and what it means for Kootenai County

Kootenai County voters turned out big on Nov. 3. The county counted 77,063 ballots from 114,380 registered voters, about 67%. These are the county's own precinct-by-precinct numbers, published Nov. 8. They become official after the canvass.

Here is every ballot question we voted on: what it actually does, how we voted, and what it means here.

What passed

Coeur d'Alene schools levy

What it does: It lets Coeur d'Alene Public Schools collect $30.25 million a year in property taxes for two years, from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2029. It replaces the current $25 million levy. The district says the money splits like this: $12.3 million for teacher and support staff jobs, $7.1 million for academic programs such as electives and Advanced Placement, $4.3 million for school safety and health, $2.4 million for sports and activities, $1.8 million for utilities and upkeep, $1.3 million for technology and $1.2 million for classroom materials like textbooks.

The vote: 20,984 yes (58%) to 15,096 no. It needed a simple majority.

What it means: About a quarter of the district's operating money comes from this levy. The Press reports the average cost is about $110 a year per $100,000 of taxable value.

Post Falls schools levy

What it does: It lets the Post Falls School District collect $6,783,098 a year for two years. It replaces the current levy. The district says the money pays for staff pay, student supplies and school safety.

The vote: 10,045 yes (55%) to 8,236 no.

What it means: The district estimates the cost at $64.90 per $100,000 of taxable value, or about $38.87 after state property-tax relief.

Northern Lakes Fire levy

What it does: It lets Northern Lakes Fire Protection District collect an extra $4.5 million a year for two years. It is temporary, not permanent.

The vote: 13,527 yes (70%) to 5,674 no.

English as Idaho's official language (HJR 6)

What it does: It writes into the Idaho Constitution that English is the official state language. English must be used in public proceedings, public documents and public schooling, except where federal law requires otherwise.

The vote here: 55,141 yes (75%) to 17,999 no. It passed statewide too.

What it means: State law already named English the official language. Now the Constitution does too, so a future Legislature can't undo it by passing a bill.

Plummer-Worley schools levy

What it does: $893,860 a year for two years. In Kootenai County's share of the vote it passed 395 to 375. The district also includes Benewah County voters, and the Press reports it passed.

What did not win

Prop 1, the Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act

What it would have done: It would have created a legal right to make your own decisions about birth control, fertility treatment like IVF, and abortion before a fetus can survive outside the womb (called viability). After viability, the state could still regulate abortion, except in medical emergencies. It was a citizen initiative.

The vote here: 25,613 yes (34%) to 50,558 no. It failed statewide too, with about 56% voting no.

What it means: Idaho's current near-total abortion ban stays in place.

HJR 4, marijuana and the Legislature

What it would have done: It would have put in the Idaho Constitution that only the Legislature can legalize marijuana, medical marijuana or other drugs. That would have taken away the people's power to do it themselves through a ballot initiative.

The vote here: 29,770 yes (40%) to 43,894 no. Voters rejected it statewide.

What it means: Marijuana is still illegal in Idaho. But citizens keep the right to put a legalization question on a future ballot themselves.

The Citylink bus question

What it asked: Should county taxpayers be responsible for managing a bus system that benefits Coeur d'Alene, Hayden, Post Falls and Dalton Gardens? Yes meant keep the county in charge of Citylink. No meant the county shouldn't run it.

The vote: 28,756 yes (43%) to 38,530 no.

What it means: It was advisory, so it doesn't force any change on its own. But Commissioner Bruce Mattare, who put it on the ballot, has said the result could inform the board's decisions, and Commissioner Leslie Duncan has said a no vote could have major consequences for the bus system. Citylink rides are free. Watch the commissioners' meetings for what comes next.

Spirit Lake Fire permanent levy

What it would have done: Raised the district's levy to $785,000 a year, permanently, starting Oct. 1, 2027. The current levy brings in about $477,000.

The vote: 1,058 yes (56%) to 817 no. A permanent fire levy needs two-thirds, so it fell short even though most voters said yes.

Harrison sales-tax increase

What it would have done: Raised Harrison's local sales tax, which visitors pay too. Harrison already adds 1 cent on each dollar.

The vote: 65 yes (52%) to 61 no. Idaho law requires 60% for a city tax like this, so it failed.

Kootenai School District levy (Harrison)

What it does: $1,984,618 a year for two years for the district that runs Harrison's schools.

The vote: In Kootenai County's count it lost, 467 yes to 605 no. The district also has voters in Benewah County, and the Press reported the levy was approved. We are checking the final district-wide count and will update this story.

Idaho's state gun

An advisory question asked voters to pick a state gun. Here the Winchester Model 1873, the "Gun that Won the West," got the most picks, 15,901 of 54,838. It also won statewide.

Where the votes came from

The county doesn't publish its precinct lines as map data, but every precinct number starts with its legislative district. Precinct 401 is in District 4, and so on. So we grouped the county's 74 precincts by district and mapped them.

Turnout was steady everywhere, 66% to 69%. The big split was Coeur d'Alene. District 4 voted 55% no on Prop 1, while the other districts voted 69% to 73% no. District 4 was also the only place where most voters said the county should keep running Citylink, 55% yes. District 2, the big rural district covering the east side of the county, had the strongest no votes on Prop 1 and Citylink and the strongest yes on English.

What happens next

The county canvasses the results, then they become official. The school levies start collecting in the 2027-28 school year. The Citylink question goes to the county commissioners, who hold business meetings every Tuesday at 2 p.m.