Elections and voter turnouts

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Story Published: Oct 27, 2009 at 5:13 PM MST

Story Updated: Oct 27, 2009 at 5:13 PM MST

By Hasti Taghi

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BONNEVILLE COUNTY - Val Haddon is making his vote count. He votes every year, no matter what the races are. No question about it.

"I figured we need to vote for the right people to do the right things for our communities. We want the right people for the right jobs. For the mayor and the other positions," says Haddon.

But the election office doesn't see that same sentiment in everyone.

"I don't expect long lines from what we're seeing right now," says Bobbie Jockumsen, Bonneville County Elections Office.

Unlike the presidential election last year, the election office is not expecting large turnouts for this year's city elections.

"The further down it goes, the more say you have in it because there are less people voting so your vote counts more. That seems like the time when people don't turn out," says Jockumsen.

Last year's election saw record numbers hitting the polls. In Bonneville County, almost 77-percent came out. That's not unusual for a presidential election year. But just the year before, with no president and no mayor's seats on the line, only about 22-percent voted. On the last mayoral election, there was a 48-percent voter turnout. For the election office, that's normal. The more heated the race, the more voters.

"The city races when the mayors are running, it's a little bigger turnout. It's been kinda slow this time so we've been a little surprised," says Jockumsen.

But Haddon is staying optimistic that these booths will not remain empty on election day.

"We're not seeing a whole lot of people in here," says reporter Hasti Taghi.
"No," chuckles Haddon, "they'll probably come next week."

You can still register the day you vote.
Absentee voting ends Monday night at 5:00 in the election office.

To find your polling places, call: (208) 529-1363

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