Elected officials of Cedar Hills voted unanimously Feb. 3 to go with an all-by-mail voting system for the 2015 primary and general municipal elections. Cedar Hills will be the first city in Utah County to try out, being the guinea pig to test the latest trending vote process. “We are excited to lead the way with a vote-by-mail election,” said Jenney Rees, Cedar Hills councilwoman. “With other cities and counties already having successful outcomes, we anticipate seeing more Utah cities use this approach for the convenience of voters,” Rees said. Last year, 10 counties in Utah conducted their elections entirely by mail. These counties increased the percentage of their voters who cast a ballot before Election Day by 49 percent, according to a Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office press release.
In 2013, 19 Utah cities and towns conducted all absentee ballot elections and each one saw an increase in voter turnout with 15 of those cities also recognizing a reduction in election costs.
“The biggest benefit is the higher voter turnout,” said Colleen Mulvey, Cedar Hills city recorder. Mulvey researched the issue before presenting the idea to the city council. She found West Jordan, Cottonwood Heights, Riverdale, Vernal, Duschene cities had successfully used an all-by-mail voting system.
Full Article: Cedar Hills goes to an all-by-mail voting system.