Wasatch Back voters have just a few more days to cast their ballots in the general election.
Tuesday is Election Day, and the Summit County Clerk’s Office has received 4,190 ballots, or 30% total countywide, as of Friday morning. The majority are from mail-in or drop box votes, with a small turnout so far from early voting.
Ballots were mailed about two weeks ago. Since then, Clerk Eve Furse said staff have been collecting and processing ballots so they’re ready to count and training poll workers. Early voting also started on Wednesday and will remain open through 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Summit County Health Department’s Quinn’s Junction location on Round Valley Drive and the Summit County Courthouse on Main Street in Coalville.
Furse anticipated countywide voter turnout would be about 45%, which is typical for an off-year election. She expects the majority of ballots will be cast on Monday or Tuesday.
Staff planned to start counting ballots on Friday afternoon. Each is marked with a unique identification number tied to each voter. The Clerk’s Office collects and processes ballots by verifying the signature matches against past signatures — with an opportunity for the voter to correct it if challenged — and scans the barcode. Then, the ballots are entered into the tabulation equipment.
Furse said the system records and counts the votes, but the information is suppressed until polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
The biggest challenge for the Clerk’s Office has been keeping up with all of the changes to the West Hills incorporation election.
Summit County Third District Judge Matthew Bates’ October ruling invalidated the election after 10 people filed a lawsuit to block the vote. West Hills sponsor Derek Anderson appealed the ruling to the Utah Supreme Court, which temporarily reinstated the election. However, the state’s high court ultimately reversed its decision after a last-minute hearing.
Furse said the Clerk’s Office had to cancel the West Hills vote in its system, which then would “spoil” or flag ballots in that election, reinstate it, and then call it off again. However, ballots were already printed, so 97 residents will still see the incorporation vote on their ballot.
The Clerk’s Office has also heard a few questions from people living in the Snyderville Basin who did not receive a ballot. Furse clarified that not every voter will have an election.
For example, the only race in the Snyderville Basin is for Summit County Service Area #3 Board of Trustees and that is solely open to Silver Creek residents. There would have been a water reclamation district election, but there were as many candidates as open seats.
Municipal elections are being held for mayor and city council in Coalville, Francis, Henefer, Kamas, Oakley and Park City. One candidate is also running for one open South Summit Fire District fire board commission.
Ballot drop boxes are located throughout Summit County, including the Park City Library, Oakley City Hall, Francis City Hall, Henefer Town Hall, the Summit County Courthouse, the Coalville and Kamas Valley branches of the Summit County Library, The Market at Park City and the Quinn’s Health Department. Hours may vary by location.
Mail-in ballots must be in possession of the Clerk’s Office by Tuesday night to be counted, a change from previous years when ballots had to be postmarked the day before the election. Voters who are unsure if their ballots will arrive in time by mail should use a drop box instead.
The first round of preliminary results will be released by the Clerk’s Office after polls close. Updates will be provided throughout the week until all votes are counted.