Utah's primary turnout already 'surpassing a snoozer' election

Utah's primary turnout already 'surpassing a snoozer' election

(Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)


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SALT LAKE CITY — Many Utahns have already voted in Tuesday's primary thanks to a record number of counties holding vote-by-mail elections, but it's not too late for voters to make their voices heard.

Nearly 15 percent of Utah's registered voters had cast 184,403 ballots as of Friday, according to the state Elections Office. That's already a better voter turnout than the state's last primary election in 2014.

"At least we're surpassing a snoozer election," state Elections Director Mark Thomas said, but with 20 of Utah's 29 counties largely relying on mail-in ballots, it's hard to predict by how much that will be when the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

"A lot of it is based on the competitiveness of the races that are on the ballot. We are, of course, hoping for a good turnout. There is reason for everyone to go to the polls," Thomas said.

This year, there are both Republican and Democratic statewide primary races. It's the first time Democrats in Republican-dominated Utah have had a statewide primary since 1992, Thomas said.

Only Republicans can vote in the Republican primary, although the Democratic primary is open to all voters. Thomas said it's too late to change parties for this election, but unaffiliated voters can affiliate as a Republican at the polls Tuesday.

On the Democratic side, the choice is between Jonathan Swinton, a marriage and family therapist who was raised Republican, or Misty K. Snow, Utah's first transgender candidate to seek a statewide office. The winner will run against Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, in November.

GOP voters are deciding between Gov. Gary Herbert and Overstock.com Chairman Jonathan Johnson as their nominee in the governor's race to face Democrat Mike Weinholtz in the general election.

Photo: Mary Archbold
Photo: Mary Archbold

"The governor's race is the big headline," University of Utah political science professor Matthew Burbank said, bombarding voters with TV commercials and other campaigning in recent weeks.

Even with all the attention the increasingly contentious gubernatorial race is generating, Burbank said there likely won't be significant voter turnout to determine who runs in the general election.

"One of the problems with primary elections at the end of June is people are thinking summer. They're not thinking fall elections," Burbank said. "It's hard to generate a lot of interest."


One of the problems with primary elections at the end of June is people are thinking summer. They're not thinking fall elections.

–Matthew Burbank, political science professor


The leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties in Utah are hopeful that won't be the case.

"Primary elections are often overlooked, but they are a crucial part of our democracy," Utah Democratic Party Chairman Peter Corroon said. "Those who do not vote abdicate their responsiblity to a small number of voters who many not share their values or ideals."

Corroon said the party has "two great candidates" running for Senate, as well candidates in other races, whose ideas for improving the state "won't matter if we don't help them get elected by voting in the primary and general elections."

Utah GOP Chairman James Evans said the party is encouraging voter turnout, but also being cautious not to be seen as favoring one of the gubernatorial candidates through its actions.

Monica Martinez prepares ballots for tabulation. Photo: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Monica Martinez prepares ballots for tabulation. Photo: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

"Because the sensitivity of the governor's race, we've been very careful about how we've communicated about the primary," Evans said, avoiding "doing something new, or more aggressive, doing something more than we've normally done."

Since 2004, primary voter turnout has hit a high of just over 20 percent, when Utah favorite Mitt Romney was running for president in 2012, and dipped as low as 8 percent, when a GOP battle in the state treasurer's race topped the ballot.

This year, approximately 70 percent of the state's 1.3 million registered voters live in counties conducting by-mail primaries, and by-mail ballots were available upon request in the nine counties holding traditional elections.

Thomas said if voters haven't returned their by-mail ballots yet, they still have options.

Voters need to be aware that mail-in ballots must be postmarked — not just handed to a mail carrier or dropped in a mailbox — no later than Monday, he said, which likely would require a trip to the post office.

But mail-in ballots can also can be dropped off until the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday at a county clerk's office, polling location or designated drop box listed at vote.utah.gov, he said.

Voters who have can't find their mail-in ballots can go to a polling location or county clerk's office Tuesday to vote, Thomas said.

Besides the statewide races, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, has a primary challenge in the 3rd District from BYU professor and former Microsoft software engineer Chia-Chi Teng.

Seven nonpartisan school board seats are also being contested, with a total of 29 candidates running. There are a number of legislative seats and local government races throughout the state.

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