Iron County Clerk Explains Changes To Voting Procedures

I don't know about you, but after last November, and all that's gone on since then, I was more than happy to put elections behind me for awhile. But, ready or not, at least in my case, we have another election, this time a municipal primary, coming up next month. And, this time, there are some procedural changes you should know about.

Iron County Clerk Jon Whittaker joined us on the Big Picture Morning Show on KSUB to discuss the upcoming elections for Cedar City and Enoch. Ballots for these areas will be mailed on July 22.

Early voting will take place at the Iron County Courthouse from August 5 through August 7. On Election Day, voters in Cedar City can cast ballots in person at the Heritage Theater lobby, while Enoch voters will use the Enoch City chamber offices.

New State Law Changes Mail In Ballot Procedures

A significant change in election law is in effect this year. “HB300 requires that the county clerk have your ballot in hand on Election Day, so that’s kind of a big change for those who mail their ballots,” Whittaker said in the interview. Previously, a postmark by the day before the election was sufficient. Whittaker warned that relying on the mail now carries a risk: “There will be folks whose ballots won’t count. And they’ll have the expectation that they should, whether it’s some delay in the postal system or whatever.”

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To ensure timely delivery, the Postal Service recommends mailing ballots at least seven days before Election Day. Alternatively, Iron County voters can use secure drop boxes, open 24 hours a day, until 8 p.m. on Election Night. Locations include the Cedar City parking garage next to the utility payment drop box, Enoch City Offices at 900 E Mid Valley Road, the Rotunda in the Sharwan Smith Center at Southern Utah University, and the Parowan courthouse driveway facing 100 E.

Each drop box is monitored with security cameras. “We never handle ballots alone. We have additional chain of custody requirements,” Whittaker explained.

Whittaker also noted that mail-in voting has nearly doubled female voter participation in Utah, from 37% before 2016 to around 67% today, attributing much of that increase to the convenience of voting by mail.

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You can get more information on the upcoming municipal by clicking here. And you can hear our entire discussion with Jon Whittaker in the podcast below.