With the Nov. 2 election less than two weeks away early voting is underway at polling locations across Summit County.
This year’s ballot includes U.S. Senate and congressional races, governor, state legislative districts, two seats on the Summit County Council, sheriff and other elected offices in the County Courthouse. Several ballot initiatives will also be decided on Election Day.
Early voting is scheduled to end Oct. 29. Polling locations at the Sheldon Richins Building, Marsac Building, Kamas City Hall and the County Courthouse in Coalville are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Early voting is real popular,” Summit County Clerk Kent Jones said. “It makes the polling places on Election Day not nearly so crowded.”
Voters in Summit County who registered at least 30 days before the Nov. 2 election can participate in early voting, Jones said.
“On the early vote you can go to any one of the four locations,” Jones said. “It doesn’t matter where you live.”
Ranch Place Republican Jennifer Castelli was one of the first people to cast a ballot when early voting began on Tuesday.
She said she plans to be away on vacation on Election Day.
“I wish I could be here. I usually like to vote on Election Day. I like to be at the heart of the hubbub and the buzz. But since we’re traveling for vacation it’s awesome that I have this opportunity,” Castelli said. “I marked it on my calendar as my voting day.”
Castelli said many of her friends vote early “because they just like to get it over with.”
“I’m just grateful that I have this opportunity to do this because I am not very familiar with the mail-in absentee process. I’d rather vote in person and I do like to go to the voting booth,” she said.
She is closely watching the campaign in District 25 of the state House of Representatives, which includes a chunk of the Snyderville Basin. Salt Lake County Democrat Joel Briscoe is vying against Salt Lake County Republican Rick Raile.
“A Democrat has held that seat for 28 years and I just think it’s important that we have new representation in that office,” Castelli said. “I have been very active in helping the candidates and doing fundraisers.”
Meanwhile, early voting has been a hit for Old Town Democrat Hilary Reiter.
“I usually make up my mind pretty early. I follow the news coverage and then I get excited about voting My mind is made up and I don’t see any reason to wait,” Reiter said. “If I vote early I get excited and passionate about it and hopefully I can relay that to other people and inspire them to either vote early or just vote period.”
She explained that some of her friends do not pay as close attention to politics as she does.
“In our community we historically have a pretty weak turnout and I know that for midterm elections it’s usually even weaker,” Reiter said.
“But I’m one of those people that really believe that even local politics are super important because they impact our everyday lives.”
Reiter described herself as a liberal Democrat who fears a takeover of politics by the conservative Tea Party.
“If we have to have Republicans in there, the Tea Party-type ones scare the crap out of me,” she said. “They’re not middle of the road. They’re pretty extreme.”