County clerk’s office expects high number of local voters to cast 2004 election ballots

By Sun Advocate

Local residents flooded the Carbon County Clerk’s Office on Monday to register to vote in next week’s general election.
“We were so busy on Monday it was almost unbelievable,” said deputy county clerk Alexis Horsley on Wednesday. “We registered 230 people on Monday alone.”
Carbon County already has one of the highest registered voter rates in the state.The 2000 census indicates 20,350 people reside in Carbon County and the county clerk’s office data shows that 14,832 or approximately 73 percent are registered voters.
The average registered voter rate for the majority of areas in the United States is around the 50 percent mark and few places in the nation exceed 70 percent.
In one local district, the records show more voters than residents due to growth in the area. The largest voting district in the county is northeast Price ,with a total of 991 people registered to cast ballots on Nov. 2.
The smallest district in the county is Scofield with 72 registered voters.
Presidential races generally bring out more voters than off-year elections.
But while Carbon residents are interested in the national races, they are also concerned with land use and water issues.
Only one county commission spot, incumbent Mike Milovich versus Gerald Lloyd, and three county board of education seats are up for grabs.
Two of the local school board spots are unopposed and the third race pits incumbent Grady McEvoy against Bruce Quinton.
At the state level, there is a strong contest going on for state senator from the area where incumbent Mike Dmitrich’s bid for re-election is being challenged by Phillip Peay and William Sharp.
There is also a strong contest going on for the Utah House of Representatives position in District 67. Walt Borla is competing against Patrick Painter to fill the seat on state government. District 67 encompasses populations in Scofield, Helper, Spring Glen, Carbonville and Westwood.
The rest of the county is in Utah House of Representatives District 69. Incumbent Brad King will be on the ballot, but is running for re-election unopposed.
In addition, Carbon County voters will cast ballots in the governor-lieutenant governor race along with the state attorney general, state auditor and state treasurer offices .
Carbon County residents will also be voting for a U.S. congressman and senator along casting ballots in the presidential race.
Local voters will also be considering three different amendments to the Utah Constitution and one initiative listed on the 2004 general election ballot.
One local measure will appear on the ballots passed out in Sunnyside and East Carbon City.
The measure is the vote on the proposed consolidation of the two towns.
County officials are gearing up for heavy election numbers that they think will come into the county courthouse on Tuesday evening. That is the place where local officials and those running for office often gather on election night to see the returns as they come in.
Traditionally, Carbon County has been a Democratic ship in a Republican sea, but this year there are close races in a lot of areas. With so many new registered voters on the rolls, it’s hard to tell where they will be coming from when they cast their ballots.
It will all be much clearer next Wednesday morning.