Impromptu voting locations being arranged due to undelivered ballots
MANTI—After continuing to hear from voters who have not received their mailed primary election ballots, County Clerk Sandy Neill is setting up special polling places in two city halls and extending hours at the polling place in the county courthouse.
Polls will be open as follows:
Gunnison City Hall
Monday, June 25: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tuesday, June 26 (Election Day): 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
Sanpete County Courthouse
Monday, June 25: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Tuesday, June 26 (Election Day): 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
Fairview City Hall
Monday, June 25: 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
Tuesday, June 26 (Election Day): 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
Neill said city or county staff in those locations will function as poll workers. Voters will receive a ballot exactly like the one they should have received in the mail. Voters should bring ID. Any voter from any precinct can vote at any of these locations, Neill said.
You must be a registered Republican in order to vote. If you’re registered with another party (Democrat, American Independent, etc.), you can’t vote, or if you do, you’re vote won’t county.
If you are not affiliated with a party, you can fill out a form to affiliate as Republican at any of the above locations. Your ballot will be considered a provisional ballot and will undergo special review at the clerk’s office. If you check out on all of the requirements, your vote will count.
This year, for the first time, the county used a vendor in Omaha, Neb. to prepare and mail out ballots. According to Neill, the county has had a bad experience. None of the ballots got to voters in early June as originally scheduled. Most people who have received ballots got them in the past week.
Among cities where few ballots have been voted or where Neill has heard from voters who have not received ballots are Axtell, Centerfield, Moroni and Fairview.
However, she says, “it’s hit and miss.” In all of those towns, some mailed ballots have been received, voted and sent in to the clerk’s office.
The Utah Elections Office is conducting an audit of the Omaha company and the U.S. Postal Service to find out what happened.
“We’ve got to hear some answers before we think about doing this again” (using an external vendor), Neill said.
