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Eagle Mountain City Council Recently voted on a resolution to use Vote by Mail (VBM) as the mechanism for the 2017 municipal election. The resolution passed with a 3:2 vote (Bradley, Reaves, Westmoreland voted in favor, while Curtis, and Gricis voted against). As more information became available, a couple of the city council members tried to bring the item back for a revote and to discuss it again, but they were unable to garner enough support to bring the item back to the agenda. As a result, Eagle Mountain will be joining other cities in Utah County to do VBM for their municipal elections in 2017. As of March 4th, 2017, the county will be doing VBM for the following cities: Provo, Orem, Lehi, American Fork, Saratoga Springs, Eagle Mountain, Alpine, Cedar Hills, Pleasant Grove, Lindon, Vineyard, Springville, Spanish Fork & Payson. While Mapleton, Highland, and Elk Ridge have indicated that they do not wish to participate in VBM. Cedar Fort, Fairfield, Goshen, Genola, Santaquin, Salem, and Woodland Hills have not officially told the Utah County Clerk’s office if they will be participating in VBM.
Thompson explains what happens when the ballots are processed, “voter authentication process involves checking voter signatures with the signatures on file from the Driver’s License Division, and Voter registration applications. We will be using the Dominion system for this election that have an enhanced signature authentication process. In terms of privacy preservation, the returned ballots come in a double sealed envelope. … Upon receipt of the returned ballot envelope, we open the first seal which reveals the voter signature. After the signature is verified as being valid, then another process opens the second seal on the envelope and the ballot is extracted. The ballot goes one direction, and the envelope with the identifying marks and signature go a different direction. The separation process is to preserve the privacy of the ballot. It is at this point that the ballots are then scanned and tabulated. ”
Thompson explains when the ballots will be destroyed after tabulation, “By Utah State law all election material and ballots are placed in secure storage ( at the County’s record archive) for a period of 22 months. After that retention period, those items are destroyed.”
Eagle Mountain City’s Statement also pointed out that election turnout usually rises when VBM is implemented. “In the 2016 General Election, 21 of 29 counties in Utah conducted VBM. Research shows that on average, voter turnout increases 10% to 15% with VBM. Some municipalities have experienced even higher results. For example, in 2013 West Jordan tested VBM and the City’s turnout increased from 14% to 35%. In 2015, the return rate dropped slightly to 31.60%; however, the comparative voting rate was still more than double that of traditional elections. Similarly, Riverdale City’s voter turnout increased from 24.02% to 47.85% and has maintained a similar increase in subsequent elections. Colorado, Oregon, and Washington conduct all of their elections by mail and always have high voter turnout.”
The Utah Lieutenant Governor’s office in September 2014 did a study on VBM as per instruction by the Utah State Legislature and Utah State Code. The study entitled “Evaluating the Feasibility of Vote By Mail in Utah“, made several points in its executive summary. It points out that the Vote By Mail systems “carry advantages and disadvantages that policymakers should be aware of to ensure they select a system that meets their goals and is consistent with their values.” It also points out that “In terms of general election turnout, vote-by-mail systems do not show a general long-term increase in turnout. Gains in turnout, are more likely to be observed in low-salience elections such as special elections and municipal elections.” The report found that there is some disconnect between City Clerks on the benefits of Vote by Mail. “A survey of county clerks shows substantial variation from county to county on perceptions of whether VBM is easier or harder to administer and whether VBM saves money or is more expensive.”
The conclusions of the report are as follows:
It will be interesting to see how the voters in Eagle Mountain respond to VBM. This municipal election will be for two City Council seats, as well as the Mayor seat. Only time will tell if VBM will increase voter turn out. The agreement between the County and the City for VBM will be for a period of one year, the city can reevaluate the agreement for the next election cycle. Bryan Thompson, County Clerk, explains, “The interlocal agreement (ILA) with each city is for only one year. For the 2019 Municipal election, each city would have to make the decision if they wanted the County to administer their election. If they do, we would sign another ILA for that election cycle.”Our findings in this report suggest that vote by mail can be a legitimate and valid way to administer an election. However, just as traditionally-administered polling-place elections can be run with higher standards and better practices, the manner in which VBM is implemented is important for maintaining the integrity of the voting process. In the course of our report we note that various counties have had different experiences with VBM and absentee systems. The counties, from their sundry vantage points, also have different perceptions about the impacts of VBM would have on their counties. We see wisdom in accounting for the variety of experiences and preconceptions among counties in crafting policy. We encourage policy makers to carefully consider the pros and cons of VBM systems before making changes in the manner in which they administer their elections, and to ensure that where VBM may be adopted it is done carefully to ensure the integrity of the election process.
Our findings in this report suggest that vote by mail can be a legitimate and valid way to administer an election. However, just as traditionally-administered polling-place elections can be run with higher standards and better practices, the manner in which VBM is implemented is important for maintaining the integrity of the voting process.
In the course of our report we note that various counties have had different experiences with VBM and absentee systems. The counties, from their sundry vantage points, also have different perceptions about the impacts of VBM would have on their counties. We see wisdom in accounting for the variety of experiences and preconceptions among counties in crafting policy. We encourage policy makers to carefully consider the pros and cons of VBM systems before making changes in the manner in which they administer their elections, and to ensure that where VBM may be adopted it is done carefully to ensure the integrity of the election process.Additional Resources
Lieutenant Governor report on VBM VBM Ballot Envelope Email From County Clerk on VBM Eagle Mountain City Recorder Presentation on VBM Saratoga Springs City Recorder information on VBM Statement by Eagle Mountain on VBM
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.