Machine shortage, confusion over ballots bring long lines, frustration in early voting

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An early voting line, with at least 100 people waiting in it,... (Al Hartmann/The Salt Lake Tribune)


Utah braces for Nov. 7 jam
Machine shortage, confusion over ballots bring long lines, frustration in early voting
By Glen Warchol
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:11/01/2006 01:57:04 AM MST


Long lines at early voting centers this week may be a precursor to even worse Election Day frustrations, warns Salt Lake County's top election official.

"I'm concerned about lines Election Day - seriously," County Clerk Sherrie Swensen said Tuesday. "It's going to be a very busy day."

Voters in at least two early voting locations have complained of long waits as an estimated 30,000 voters statewide cast electronic ballots up to Friday. Salt Lake County voting officials, who oversee Utah's most populous county with 500,000 voters, hope for 20,000 to 25,000 voters to ultimately pick candidates early.

Turnout for early voting was far better than expected, Swensen said, but "that's just the tip of the iceberg. We still have another 250,000 people who could show up on Election Day."

Those voters will cast their votes on fewer than 3,000 touch-screen machines, compared with the 5,000 punch-card stations available in previous elections. The ballot is lengthy with some complicated issues that, combined with the new technology, could trip up voters on Nov. 7, she said.

"I am seriously worried about waiting lines on Election Day, and people getting frustrated," said Swensen. "Even if we have a good turnout at the early voting locations, we still have that many machines."

Salt Lake County officials have been watching early voting closely. Although lines have been long at some early voting centers, particularly Sandy City Library and West Valley City Hall, the centers also are virtually empty at other times. "This is the first time, and we didn't know what to expect," Swensen said.

Tuesday voters at the Sandy library waited an hour to cast ballots.

"We thought we would be able to get through sooner if we voted early," said Robert Randolph of Cottonwood Heights. "This was the longest I've ever waited to vote."

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