Nearly 250 San Juan County voters used emergency electronic ballots on Election Day

Voters in San Juan County were dealing with the aftermath of devastating flooding as they made plans to cast their ballots on Election Day. But, with expanded options made available through an emergency declaration to allow electronic voting, a couple of hundred voters received accommodations to vote.

Utah Election Director Ryan Cowley, said 244 people were able to cast their ballot through the emergency system the lieutenant governor’s office had announced Monday. 

“There’s some pretty catastrophic flooding in several areas down there that impeded people’s ability to get to the polling places and out of their homes,” Cowley said. “The system worked really well.” 

Utah activates emergency electronic voting in San Juan amid devastating floods

There are 8,095 registered voters in San Juan County, according to statistics updated by the state on Monday, but turnout numbers for the area are still unavailable as a small crew works on counting the ballots.

Statewide, Cowley said, turnout was at about 42% on Wednesday morning. The elections office expects final numbers to be in the 60% to 65% range. 

“San Juan very well would likely be in that same range, but I can’t necessarily project that specifically for them,” Cowley said. 

The electronic system is designed for military and overseas voters, as well as for people with disabilities, he said. Voters receive access to a portal, and they are able to receive a ballot, fill it out and submit it electronically. 

After the proclamation was issued Monday afternoon, Utah elections officers sent emails, spread the word through the media, and county officials announced it through their social media channels, Cowley said.

“I feel like we definitely provided the opportunity, and hopefully we got the word out to as many people as we could. It’s hard in a situation like that because it’s so close to the election where it was basically the day before, but I think we got the word out the best we could to voters,” he said. “And the fact that 244 were able to take advantage of that, I think, is a pretty cool thing.”