Get Ready Iron County, Voting Deadlines Are Approaching

Iron County Clerk Jon Whittaker joined the Big Picture Morning Show on KSUB Radio this week to discuss voting procedures and important updates ahead of the upcoming election. With ballots now in mailboxes across Iron County, Whittaker encouraged voters to plan ahead and be aware of key deadlines and changes.

“We mailed out 25,109 ballots on the 12th,” Whittaker said on the broadcast. “The 24th is the last day to register, and the 28th is the last day to request an absentee ballot. We will have early voting from the 28th through the 31st at the courthouse from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and you may come in if you’re not registered.”

He noted that Utah continues to allow same-day registration, meaning eligible voters can register and vote in person during early voting at the Iron County Courthouse in Parowan, located at 68 South 100 East.

Mail In Ballots Should Be Sent At Least A Week Before The Election

Whittaker also addressed a major procedural change resulting from Utah’s House Bill 300. “Instead of the postage date being the day before the election like it used to be, the ballot must be in the hands of the county clerk by 8 p.m. on election night,” he said. “If you’re going to mail it, we suggest that you mail it at least seven days before the election.”

For those preferring to use drop boxes, Whittaker outlined several locations available throughout Iron County. “There’s a drop box in the Cedar City parking garage, one at the Parowan Courthouse, at the Enoch City offices, at SUU in the rotunda, at the Kanarraville Town Hall, and one at the Brian Head Town offices,” he said. “Those are 24-hour locations, and at 8 o’clock sharp on election night, those will be locked.”

Voters can also track their ballots online. “If you just go to ballottrax.net, it will let you know when your ballot was mailed out, and it will let you know when our office checks it in and verifies your signature,” Whittaker explained.

He also reassured voters who make mistakes while filling out their ballots. “If you fill in candidate A and you really meant candidate B, don’t try to erase the mark,” he said. “Just fill in candidate B and write ‘this one, not this one’ next to it. We’ll do our best to interpret that intent and count that vote.”

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Whittaker concluded the interview by emphasizing the responsibility of election officials. “I represent that the will of the people was done in accordance with the law and accurately, and without bias,” he said. “That’s an important thing to me.”

Our entire discussion with Jon Whittaker is available in the podcast below.