Weber County voters casting ballots in steady numbers, relative calm
Chelsie Clagg of North Ogden, right, fills out the paperwork to get a ballot from Cathy Beaty, a Weber County election worker, on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, at the in-person balloting site at the Weber County Fairgrounds in Ogden.
Tiffany Branch of Plain City, left, processes the paperwork to get a ballot from Paul Kriekard, a Weber County election worker, on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, at the in-person balloting site at the Weber County Fairgrounds in Ogden.
OGDEN — Weber County voters are casting their ballots in steady numbers Tuesday as what’s been a tumultuous election season edges toward the finish line.
“It’s important. It’s part of our responsibility as an American to vote and be part of the process,” Preston Wood of Ogden said after dropping his ballot in the drop box outside the Main Library.
The drop box was receiving a steady stream of visitors Tuesday, the last day of voting, while others cast ballots at the Weber County Fairgrounds, the Election Day in-person balloting site. “It’s going really smoothly,” said Peggy Milos, a volunteer with the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah who was observing the process at the fairgrounds location inside Exhibition Hall.
Reps from the Ogden Police Department and the Weber County Sheriff’s Office increased their presence around the community on Tuesday as a precaution given the intense emotions the U.S. presidential race has prompted. But authorities reported no incidents. The fairgrounds site opened at 7 a.m. on Tuesday and closes at 8 p.m.
“It’s been very quiet,” said Lt. Brian Eynon, the police department spokesman.
TIM VANDENACK, Standard-Examiner
Cameron Hensley of South Ogden, reaches out of his auto to place his ballot in a drop box on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, at the in-person balloting site at the Weber County Fairgrounds in Ogden. At left, Jason Fulmer, an election worker, looks on.
The 1st District U.S. House post, numerous Utah legislative seats and several other local Weber County races are on the ballot this cycle. But the contest between the presidential hopefuls, President Donald Trump, the GOPer seeking his second term, and Democrat Joe Biden, seems to be foremost on Weber County voters’ minds.
“I just don’t want Trump,” K.C. Shelton of Ogden said after putting his ballot in the drop box outside the library.
Rix Robinson, who also used the library drop box, seized on the different tenor of the presidential campaign this year. He didn’t say who he cast his presidential vote for, but noted his political leaning — conservative.
“It was a lot different than previous campaigns,” Robinson said. “A lot more intense. And I think a lot of things are underhanded, unfortunately, on both sides, more on the Democrat side than the Republican.”
Though perhaps split in their political preferences, many expressed hope that the tense atmosphere would ease in the wake of Tuesday’s presidential vote.
“I hope when it’s all said and done, everyone calms down,” Wood said. Regardless of whether Trump or Biden wins, he hopes “we can be a lot less divisive in the future.”
Similarly, Shelton noted with chagrin the steady stream of dramatic news headlines from day to day that seems to have become the norm. “I just hope that it’s going to get back to normal and all this craziness goes away,” he said.
Weber County election officials expect to release partial results between 8:30 and 9 p.m. on Tuesday. They’ll keep processing uncounted ballots through the rest of the week, releasing the bulk of the rest of the totals on Friday.
Aside from the fairgrounds location, voters can place their ballots at any of 20 drop boxes around Weber County, including the Main Library location, until 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
The fairgrounds location is at 1000 N. 1200 West in Ogden and is meant chiefly for those who didn’t get mail-in ballots or lost them.