Politics/Policy

For the second time in Idaho's history, voters have overturned a law passed by state lawmakers. 

Residents rejected the 2011 education laws known as Students Come First.  They did so by a wide margin. 

As part of our analysis on Morning Edition, KBSX education reporter Adam Cotterell spoke with host Scott Graf about the result, reaction to it, and what comes next. 

We spoke with David Adler, Director of the Andrus Center for Public Policy at Boise State University, about the results of the Students Come First vote. 

The interview aired on KBSX's Morning Edition.  Click 'Listen' to hear Adler's analysis.

All three of public schools chief Tom Luna's education overhaul initiatives were failing just before

midnight Tuesday.

About 40 percent of the precincts statewide were counted.

But if the numbers hold, it would be a clear disaster for Luna's plans to remake Idaho's schools.

By far, Luna's plan to spend $180 million on student laptops over eight years and require online courses to graduate was faring the worst, securing just a third of the vote.

Idaho Republican U.S. Reps. Mike Simpson and Raul Labrador were on pace to beat their Democratic rivals and return to Congress.

In early results, Simpson tallied nearly 68 percent, to just 32 percent for his Democratic rival, Nicole LeFavour.

Labrador was trouncing ex-NFL player Jimmy Farris, 64 percent to 30 percent.

For Labrador, a win means his second term since sweeping into office in 2010 on a wave of tea party support.

Labrador says it was hard to take Farris seriously, given the Democrat voted for the first time in 2008.

President Obama has won re-election in a sweep that ended the night before the count was completed in two key battleground states, Florida and Virginia. By holding the "Midwest firewall" — including Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan — the president handily defeated his challenger.

"This has been a topsy-turvy campaign from beginning to end," says Andrew Kohut, president of Pew Research Center. "And it ended in a topsy-turvy way."

Polls in Idaho have closed and ballots are being counted around the state.  Democrats and Republicans have been holding their election parties tonight. The Vote No campaign has held a party as well. That's the group that's pushed to try and overturn what's known as the Students Come First laws.

It's too early to call any of the Idaho races or ballot initiatives. But we have collected some of your tweets and photographs from throughout election night to share.