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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Residents in many rural areas may find themselves required to vote by mail, using absentee ballots.
Millard County will require residents in 11 precincts to vote by mail to reduce the expense and problems related to training of poll workers for Utah's first electronic balloting.
"We felt we could handle it better if we reduced the number of polling places," said County Clerk Norma Brunson. "I have had complaints, not a large number."
A public meeting held this week in Emery County found little enthusiasm for voting by mail.
"They were not in favor of it," said County Clerk Brenda Dugmore. "We have not made any decisions. Other counties are exploring the option and (Emery County) commissioners haven't decided yet."
Emery County is hoping that eliminating two polling places in Emery and Clawson would save on training and on transporting voting machines.
In Clawson, the proposed changed is figured to lower voting costs by $300 to $200.
"We only have one precinct here for the whole town and everyone I've talked to is very upset about it," said Clawson resident Bruce Roundy, who fears his ballot will no longer be secret, despite election officials' assurances. "If you have mail-in ballots, how can you be sure it's anonymous?"
Under Utah election law, county clerks can switch to vote-by-mail in precincts that have 500 or fewer voters.
The state Elections Office does not know yet how many precincts and voters statewide will be affected, said elections assistant Stephen MacDonald.
Meanwhile, Salt Lake County is going in the other direction.
County Clerk Sherrie Swensen said the county had 35 vote-by-mail districts that were organized because redistricting in 2002 created voter pockets, some with as few as 50 voters, with odd ballot configurations.
With electronic machines, several ballots can be stored in computer memory and those voters can go to centralized polling places. About 3,000 voters will return to the polls, unless they choose to remain mail-in voters.
Swenson said Brighton in Big Cottonwood Canyon will remain vote-by-mail because of the distance to deliver the vote.
"Poll workers pleaded with us to keep it vote-by-mail. You can imagine driving down the canyon in November," she said.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
