Text 
No Comments [ Add Comment ]Registrations 'Round the Bend / Monday's registration deadline brings long lines; early voting starts today
By Loretta ParkFARMINGTON -- Michelle Harrison, of Kaysville, lined up with eight others along the counter in the hallway of the Davis County Clerk's Office to fill out her voter registration form.
Monday was the last day for voters to register in person in Utah, and Davis County was busy even before the office officially opened at 8 a.m., said Pat Beckstead, the county election clerk.
"We've been out of town," Harrison said of why she waited until the last day to register to vote. She has also moved seven times in the past five years, all within Davis County.
Brian McKenzie, a county election technician, stood near the counter, taking application forms and checking driver's licenses in an effort to speed up the process.
Young couples, parents with adult children, parents with young children and older couples were either registering for the first time to vote in Davis County or changing their addresses. About a third are new voters.
As of Monday, 163,442 voters had been entered into the computers. That's an increase of 892 since last week, Beckstead said.
Clerks had piles of voter applications on their desks, and the box on the counter was beginning to fill up.
Morgan County saw 221 new registrations this year, while Box Elder jumped by 4,497.
Weber County has been so swamped with new registrations that officials haven't had time to count them. Monday afternoon, the last day to register, a line of about 50 people wound its way out the door of the auditor's office.
"This is definitely busier than past years," said County Clerk Alan McEwan. " I think people are interested because there's been so much hype about the election."
Beckstead said Davis County clerks have been so busy, they have no idea how many are registering as Republicans or as Democrats.
When she arrived at 7:58 a.m. Monday, Beckstead said, the area was full of people and her staff had already processed 15.
By 11 a.m., several hundred people had left their forms. All were told they would not be able to vote during early voting, which begins today.
However, they can vote on Election Day, Nov. 4.
Legislators in 2006 voted to allow early voting to cut down on the number of electronic polling machines the state would have to purchase.
"There are not enough polling machines and locations," Beckstead said.
Early voting in Top of Utah counties was successful in 2006 and 2007, she said.
County clerks and state officials contacted other jurisdictions in the country that already used early voting to see how it worked, Beckstead said.
In Clark County, Nev., if early voting were not available, officials would not be able to process all the votes on Election Day, she said.
"Logistically, we're getting so large, we need to have early voting."
It also gives voters who may have conflicts with work schedules, transportation issues and traffic an equal chance to weigh in, Beckstead said.
The county's early voting locations are open at least four hours a day, and some locations are open Saturdays. The goal is have at least 25 percent to 30 percent of voter cast their votes early.
Beckstead said Davis County had to rent an additional 200 machines for this year's election. Without early voting, it would need at least 200 more machines.
The county plans to use 1,061 election machines this year.
Each one is tested before voters cast their ballots. All are tested again after the voting closes, to ensure there are no problems.
Monday while voters registered, the county election staff did a public demonstration of how the election machines worked.
Every county is required by law to have a public demonstration, said Tracie McBride, a computer programmer with the county's information technology department.
The testers have a printed ballot in front of them that they copy into the machines. The testers know what the outcome of the tally should be when the voting is completed.
"I've voted more for SuperDell (Schanze) than he'll ever get from me," Beckstead said as she filed her fourth ballot in the county commission chambers.
"Of course, you're only allowed to vote once for real," McKenzie said.
McBride said when she does cast her vote, she'll have to take a deep breath and remember, "These votes count," because she tests the machines so much.
After the test run, Beckstead was back at her desk, answering phones, while McKenzie was back at the counter, helping voters register.
Early Voting
WEBER COUNTY
* Weber County Library-Huntsville, 131 S. 7400 East
* North Ogden City Offices, 505 E. 2600 North
* Weber County Library-Roy, 1950 W. 4800 South
* The Weber Center, 2380 Washington Blvd., First Floor, Ogden
* The Weber Ice Sheet, 4390 Harrison Blvd., Ogden
* Marriott-Slaterville city offices, 1570 W. 400 North
Times:
* 8 a.m.-5 p.m. today-Oct. 24
* 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday
* 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, Oct. 27-31
BOX ELDER COUNTY
* Brigham City: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and Oct. 27-31 at the Box Elder County Courthouse Recorder/Clerk's Office, 1 S. Main St.
* Tremonton: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 27-30 and 8 a.m.-noon Oct. 31 at the Box Elder County Fairgrounds Museum Building, 350 N. 1000 West
* Elwood: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday at the Elwood Town Hall, 5235 W. 8800 North
* Perry: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday at the Perry City Offices, 3005 S. 1200 West
* Deweyville: 8 a.m.-noon Thursday at the Deweyville Town Hall, 8955 N. Highway 38
* Honeyville: 1-5 p.m. Thursday at the Honeyville City Offices, 2635 W. 6980 North
* Garland: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Garland City Offices, 72 N. Main St.
* Willard: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 28 in the Willard City Offices, 80 W. 50 South
* Bear River City: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Bear River Civic Center, 5695 N. 4700 West
MORGAN COUNTY
Morgan County Courthouse, 48 W. Young St., Morgan
* 1-5 p.m. today through Friday
* 1-6 p.m. Oct. 27-30
* 1-5 p.m. Oct. 31
DAVIS COUNTY
* Davis County Memorial Courthouse, Room 107, Farmington, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Oct. 21-31, except Saturdays
* South Branch Davis Library, 725 S. Main, Bountiful
* Centerville Davis Library, 45 S. 400 West
* North Branch Davis Library, 562 S. 1000 East, Clearfield
* Central Branch Davis Library, 155 N. Wasatch Drive, Layton
* Syracuse Community Center, 1912 W. 1900 South
Times:
Noon-4 p.m. today
* 3-8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
* 7-11 a.m. Friday
* Noon-4 p.m. Saturday and Oct. 27
* 3-8 p.m. Oct. 28-30
* 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 31
Add Your Comment
