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Richard Piatt ReportingUtah Voter turnout could be as high as it was in 2004 next Tuesday, according to election officials in several counties, who say early voting and vote-by-mail responses have been good so far.
For the last couple weeks, early voting has been making every day Election Day. As of Wednesday, 19-thousand people in Salt Lake County have taken advatage of a new law that permits voting early. There are about 500-thousand eligible voters.
It's a fraction of the population, but election workers are still paying attention to the response. They notice the, at-times, long lines. A 10 minute to a half hour wait could be a preview of the actual Election Day.
Sherrie Swenson, Salt Lake county Clerk: "I am a little worried that if everyone shows up at our peak hours, there will be long waiting lines. There is a little learning curve to using the new equipment."
Crowded peak hours and learning the new machines are expected to be the top time-eaters this year. Voters are taking extra time reading instructions and figuring out where to insert the security card.
Maura Rosol, Early Voter: "Only thing is figuring out to insert the electronic card. The person standing next to me and I both said, 'Where do I put this damn thing?' We finally figured it out."
Casting an electronic ballot really isn't that hard, but there are some things that will make it go smoother for you on Election Day. It will help if you know what's on the ballot this year, read information about the new voting machines, and vote between 8 am and 5pm--it's usually less crowded then.
Don't be worried about all this, people who already voted say it's no big deal.
Chris Durling, Early Voter: "I liked it. it was smooth, easy. and it just wasn't that hard."
Edith Veteto, Early Voter: "I think it was much easier than we anticipated. I think we've had some scare tactics."
Early voting will continue this weekend.
