Time is running out to register to vote

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Utahns have until 5 p.m. to register to vote. Many voters in Salt Lake County are scrambling right now at a drive-through voter registration at the County Government Center on 2001 S. State St.

The law changed last year, and that's what's requiring this process to be different then previous elections. The county clerk said it has just been a mess with people coming from all ends of the county converging on this one spot.

Today's deadline is for new, previously unregistered voters, as well as those who have been registered elsewhere in the state but have relocated to Salt Lake County.

Upward of 3,000 people are expected by the 5 p.m. deadline, and many are heading inside the county building to vote early. Several of the people we spoke with today said they were not sure if they were registered, so coming today was just a precaution. Others who registered for the first time today said the process was easy and only took a few minutes.

Marlene Ciarus from Kearns said, "This is faster. More in detail."

"I think this year is going to be crazy. I think there's going to be very long lines, and that's why we're doing it today," said Joan Ebner of Salt Lake City.

David Welcker said, "This is an easier way to do than we have done in the past."

Don Jones said, "I was able to run here this morning before I go to work, and I don't even have to get out of the truck."

Spence Messer Smith said, "It just saves you so much time. You don't have to drive around looking for a location, I mean, you just come here and it's done."

Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen said, "We're actually hoping that we can get at least 20 to 25 percent of the people to vote early so that we can defuse some of those crowds on Election Day."

Salt Lake County has 520,000 active voters. The goal is to get more than 100,000 of them to vote early. Five-thousand early votes have already been cast, and that's expected to go up tomorrow because Salt Lake County is opening 15 satellite polling locations.

**Satellite Polling Locations**- NW Multipurpose Center - 1300 W 300 N, SLC - Murray City Hall - 5025 S. State St - Holladay City Hall - 4580 S. 2300 E. - Kearns Improvement District - 5350 W. 5400 S. - Taylorsville City Hall - 2600 W. Taylorsville Blvd. (5330 S) - University of Utah Olpin Union Building - 200 S. Central Campus Dr. - Sandy Fire Station #35 - 8186 S. 1300 E. - Sandy City Hall - 10000 S. Centennial Pkwy (170 W) - Gale History Center - 10300 S. Beckstead Lane (1600 W) in South Jordan - Draper City Hall - 1020 E. Pioneer Rd. (12425 S) - West Valley City Hall - 3600 S. Constitution Blvd. (2700 W) - Riverton City Hall - 12830 S. 1700 W. - Midvale City Hall - 655 W. Center St. (7720 S) - West Jordan Fire Station #53 - 7602 S. Jordan Landing Blvd (3900 W) - Magna Chamber of Commerce - 9145 W. 2700 S.

The offices will be open weekdays beginning Oct. 21 through Oct. 30 from noon until 7 p.m. and on Friday, Oct. 31 from Noon to 5 p.m.

But anyone who wants to vote early can still come down to the county building and do that all the way up to the Election Day.

If you are registered to vote but have a change of address or a name change, Swensen said you can still vote, you just need to take some sort of ID with your current information on it to your polling location.

E-mail: gkennedy@ksl.com
E-mail: spark@ksl.com