Salt Lake County continues processing more than 100,000 ballots as key races remain unsettled

SALT LAKE CITY — More than 100,000 ballots dropped off on Election Day are still being processed in Salt Lake County, leaving several key races unresolved as election workers continue verification efforts before the next results update.

Salt Lake County Clerk Lannie Chapman said more than 200,000 voters cast ballots before Election Day, allowing the county to release a substantial first round of results Tuesday night. However, another 100,000-plus mail ballots arrived on Election Day alone and must be verified before they're counted.

That process now takes significantly longer because of a new state law requiring election workers to verify additional voter information.

"We're looking at signatures, making sure they match the voter signature," Chapman said. "This year, they added looking at the last four digits of people's Social Security number or Utah ID."

Chapman said the change increased processing time from about two to three seconds per ballot to roughly 12 seconds per ballot.

"When we're looking at over 100,000 ballots dropped in a day, it's going to take my team quite a few hours to get those processed," she said.

County officials hope to release additional vote totals Thursday evening, with another update expected Friday.

Early results suggest Democrats could gain control of the Salt Lake County Council. Four council seats were on the ballot this year, and current returns indicate that Democrats may have enough support to shift the council's partisan balance.

"It's looking like we're potentially going to go from a Republican majority to a Democrat majority," Chapman said. "But again, we still have a lot of ballots to count."

Voters also appear to be backing a proposed $128 million bond for parks and recreation facilities, though final results remain subject to additional ballot counts.

The election count will continue beyond this week. Provisional ballots, including those cast through same-day voter registration, will be added next week. During the state's two-week canvass period, election officials will also contact voters whose ballots require additional verification.

Under Utah law, voters have two weeks after Election Day to correct, or "cure," issues with their ballots before results are certified.

Chapman said election workers have been putting in long hours to process ballots as quickly as possible while maintaining accuracy.

"There's still a lot of processing left," she said. "But we will diligently continue to ensure that people's votes are counted accurately."

Final certification of the election will take place after the canvassing process is complete.