Trish Carter-Goodheart is hopeful there will be enough votes on the “lost” memory stick to send her to the Idaho state legisiature.(Photo/Courtesy)
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Native Vote 2026
The outcome of the Idaho House District 6, Seat A race involving Democratic candidate Trish Carter-Goodheart is receiving renewed attention following the discovery of a missing memory stick containing election results from 2,342 ballots in Latah County.
Carter-Goodheart, a Nez Perce Tribal citizen from Lapwai, ran for the Idaho House of Representatives, challenging Republican Colton Bennett in the November 3 general election.
Initial unofficial results showed Bennett with 11,388 votes and Carter-Goodheart with 9,713, a difference of 1,675 votes.
However, those numbers are now under additional scrutiny after Latah County election officials discovered that results from a portion of early-voting ballots had not been transferred into the public election reporting system.
The missing results represent 2,342 votes, a substantial number in comparison with the reported margin in the District 6 race.
District 6 includes Latah, Lewis and Nez Perce counties. Because the missing votes originated in Latah County, the recount could affect the reported totals in the district’s legislative races.
Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane’s office has announced that a full recount will take place, with state officials overseeing the process. Although an initial review indicated that the additional votes would not change any election outcomes, the final results will depend on the verified count.
For Carter-Goodheart and her supporters, the discovery raises an important question: Will the corrected totals confirm the original results, or will the additional votes change the reported margin?
“I am deeply concerned about the unaccounted-for ballots discovered in Latah County, in my home district—the district I hope to represent one day,” Carter-Goodheart said to Native News Online. “On Monday, I have received numerous calls, emails, and text messages from community members expressing growing concerns about the security and integrity of our local elections. And I don’t have answers for them, because I don’t understand how something of this magnitude could have happened accidentally.”
Carter-Goodheart believes every vote deserves to be counted, and voters in District 6 deserve accurate results.
“An election is only as trustworthy as the process used to count its votes. We must count every ballot, account for every discrepancy, and answer directly to the people” Carter-Good heart said. “Our communities deserve transparency, accountability, and confidence that every vote matters.”
Until the recount and official certification are complete, the election results should be treated as unofficial.
The story is not simply about a missing memory stick. It is about making sure every ballot is accounted for and every community’s voice is accurately represented.
The post Trish Carter-Goodheart’s Idaho House Race Faces New Scrutiny After 2,342 Unreported Votes Discovered appeared first on Native News Online.
