A light snow met early voters along the Wasatch Front Tuesday, but voter turnout was still moderate to heavy, a check with several voting districts showed.
The polls are open until 8 p.m. as Utahns and other Americans vote in midterm elections that could reshape Congress and set the stage for the remaining two years of President Clinton's administration and the 1996 presidential elections.Complete election results will appear in Wednesday's editions of the Deseret News.
In Utah, Deseret News/KSL pollster Dan Jones expects voter turnout at 50-55 percent - excellent by national standards but perhaps a bit low for Utah where upward of 70-80 percent of registered voters cast ballots during presidential election years.
Jones' 55 percent estimate is statewide. But in many locales there are few close races. Turnout will likely be much higher in Salt Lake County, which features the closest race - the 2nd Congressional District contest between Democratic Rep. Karen Shepherd, Republican Enid Greene Waldholtz and Independent Merrill Cook.
The U.S. Senate race between Sen. Orrin Hatch and Democrat Pat Shea is not close - the latest Jones' poll shows Hatch ahead by 43 percentage points. The 1st and 3rd congressional district races also were not close according to polls conducted last week. But both challengers - Democrat Bobbie Coray in the 1st District and Republican Dixie Thompson in the 3rd - claim to be closing on the incumbents, Reps. Jim Hansen and Bill Orton, respectively.
At Ensign School in the Avenues in Salt Lake City, one voting district already had 60 voters by 8 a.m. Another district voting at the school had 50 voters. Both were good turnouts for an off-year election, election judges said.
Election judges didn't really expect anyone at Oquirrh Hills Elementary in Kearns when polls opened. People usually vote later there. Besides, snow was falling. But when doors opened at 7 a.m., seven people were lined up.
That was one more than the number of voting booths district 3136 had in the polished hallway. And an average of one more voter per minute showed up in the early going, making one election judge wonder aloud if she would ever get to the knitting she brought to fill in the dull moments.
"I was just excited to vote," said Ron Rafajko, explaining why he came early. He is especially concerned about the 2nd District House race and had been a volunteer for Waldholtz.
"I have to watch a grandchild, so I voted early," said Mary Lou Nielsen, who like many voted before they began the day's work.
Some just always vote early, like Joan Fewkes - who was also observing her 50th wedding anniversary. "I always vote. It's my right and no one can take it away," she said. "I always vote early but not usually this early. But I'm going to the Salt Lake Temple with my daughter a little later."
Cook's last two elections were for governor, and all Utahns could vote for him. At least one outraged Cook supporter was upset Tuesday because she couldn't vote for him - she lives in the 3rd Congressional District in Salt Lake County and Cook is only on the ballot in the 2nd District, which takes in the east half of Salt Lake City and other cities in the county, except West Valley City, and the eastern part of the unincorporated county. "Why didn't anyone tell me that," she yelled through the telephone line. "I thought I could vote for him no matter where he was" running.
In San Juan County, 18 federal election observers were providing language assistance to American Indians. Federal monitors also are observing elections in 10 other states.