skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Sunday, February 23, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Senate adopts $340 billion budget blueprint for Trump's agenda after marathon vote; MI keeps EV charging plans on track despite federal cuts; Shore power bill would improve WA air quality, cut emissions; Report: Methane mitigation industry grows in LA, nationwide.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump wants to eliminate local governance in Washington, D.C., election denier Kash Patel is confirmed as FBI director, and federal cuts to the World Trade Center Health Program hurt ailing first responders.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Taos County Sheriff says he won't conduct raids or round ups of immigrants, New Hampshire worries a dearth of charging stations will force tourists driving EVs to pick another vacation destination, and Southern states improve education with workarounds.

Election Day Registration is the New Rule; Is Utah Prepared?

play audio
Play

Monday, October 15, 2018   

SALT LAKE CITY – This year's election in November will be the first in which all of Utah's 29 counties offer Election Day registration at the polls.

Advocates for the system are hoping for a smooth rollout.

If you show up to your polling place on Nov. 6 and find your voter registration information is out of date, or you haven't previously registered, you should be able to take care of it on the spot.

Jason Stevenson, strategic communications manager for ACLU of Utah, says this is an important change, since Utah's rate of voter participation has been low compared to that of other states in recent elections.

"That's because there's a lot of barriers to people getting out and voting,” he explains. “People's lives are complex, people move, people are deployed overseas, people even move within their neighborhood and they can end up in a different precinct and all of the sudden find that their names are off the voter rolls."

A 2017 report from Nonprofit VOTE and the U.S. Elections Project shows states that offer Election Day registration tend to see higher voter turnout.

Stevenson is optimistic that that can happen in Utah, if the program is rolled out effectively.

An ACLU survey of county clerks' offices found not all were prepared for the new system.

Stevenson says voting information is a little different in each county, and few county clerks' offices in Utah have posted clear information about Election Day registration on their websites so far.

"But more troubling was when we started asking questions and we found out that some county clerks were either unaware about Election Day registration, thinking vote by mail was really the only system out there, or had not trained their poll workers to be able to handle people showing up on Election Day and asking to register and vote," he states.

With three weeks until Election Day, however, Stevenson says there's still plenty of time for counties to promote voter education, train poll workers and update their websites.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
According to a 2024 report, 74% of Montana families who received one form of income-based public assistance between 2016 and 2022 were single, aging or disabled adults with kids. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Today is National Caregivers Day, recognizing those who help friends or family members who are living with an illness, injury or disability. A 2024 …


Health and Wellness

play sound

The Alabama Senate has passed a bill which would give gun owners struggling with mental health challenges the option to voluntarily surrender their fi…

Health and Wellness

play sound

As the temperatures drop, some Georgians are feeling more than just the winter chill. Nearly 40% of Americans experience the seasonal mood changes …


Researchers are developing inductive charging technology that could allow EVs to charge without plugging in, using embedded road or parking pad systems. (Kalyakan/Adobe Stock)

play sound

Earlier this month, the Federal Highway Administration stopped new funding for electric vehicle charging stations under the National Electric Vehicle …

Social Issues

play sound

Antihunger advocates and relief organizations are gathering at New Mexico's State Capitol today as part of "Hunger Action Day." Advocates will urge l…

Sorghum matures quickly, some types in as little as 75 days, and can provide up to three harvests a year. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

One researcher at the University of Nevada-Reno has developed what she called revolutionary sorghum varieties for dairy cow feed and gluten-free human…

Environment

play sound

If Minnesota wants a strong network of up-and-coming farmers, including those who want to farm on healthier land, the state can help them become …

Social Issues

play sound

In Tennessee and nationwide, communities are celebrating Black History Month, recognizing the contributions and achievements of African Americans to …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021