Utah State Quarter Commission Chairwoman Margaret Hunt doesn't want to ruin the surprise as to which of the three proposed state quarter designs is leading in a new online public opinion poll. Citizen participation, however, is not lacking.
Since April 13, more than 44,000 people have logged on to http://www.utah.org and voted for a female snowboarder, Utah's state symbol of a beehive or the golden spike design, which commemorates the completion of the transcontinental railroad.
"We've had an incredibly vigorous response," Hunt said.
The three designs, which have already been reviewed and approved by the U.S. Mint, were taken from nearly 5,000 ideas submitted by Utah schoolchildren and adults.
"I think the beehive looks beautiful," an unknown voter wrote online. "It's an excellent symbol of our past and the ideals we hope to carry into our future."
Because only about 1 percent of the 450 million new quarters will circulate in Utah, some see the coin as a shiny new advertisement for the state.
"We need to look at all sides of the issue and review our options before making our choice," Tiffany Tuft, of Ogden, wrote. "We need the numbers. How much does the railroad industry contribute to our state community? The current ski industry contributes over $700 million a year. Utah could benefit more economically by choosing the female snowboarder. This payout could help solve our educational funding problems."
Iowan Charles Sanders commented as an outsider.
"As someone not familiar with Utah, I do not understand the message of the trains," he said. "It has to be explained if you're not familiar with the idea. The trains and the beehive leave the observer guessing. The snowboarder and mountains don't."
Others voted with an historic perspective in mind.
"The trains are a pure history depiction," Richard Nelson, of Provo, wrote. "We can date it. It's a specific event, at a specific place, at a certain time of great importance."
Utah resident Charles Johnson wrote, "Wouldn't it be better to use the new coin [railroad] to represent history and help others to know of our awesome past and how vital a role Utah has played in the early stages of our great country."
So far, about 80 percent of the online respondents have been over the age of 40, Hunt said. It is unclear how many have been male or female, and if more children will chime in after spring break for many of them is over. About 140 e-mails and 600 letters have also been submitted.
It is clear, though, that many voters from northern Utah are pushing for the golden spike, Hunt said.
"That's intrinsic because that is where it's located," she said.
Business letters with similar sentences in them also suggest there is an organized campaign in northern Utah.
"There is an organized effort but I don't know who is behind it," Hunt said.
In an online poll conducted by The Salt Lake Tribune between Jan. 20 and Feb. 12, more than half of the 6,117 respondents voted for the golden spike. Nineteen percent voted for the beehive and 16 percent voted for the snowboarder. Nearly 12 percent said they wouldn't vote for any of them.
The period for public comment will run through mid-May when Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. will unveil the new design. The announcement had originally been scheduled for May 10 until it was realized that was the anniversary of the driving in of the spike at Promontory Point.
Huntsman will ultimately make the final decision, but his spokesman Mike Mower said, "receiving public comment is part of the decision-making process." How the governor will actually make his final decision hasn't been determined, Mower said.
If Huntsman picks the golden spike, the announcement will be made at Promontory Point. If the beehive wins, the announcement will be made at This is the Place State Park. And Park City will be the location for the announcement of the snowboarder.
jbergreen@sltrib.com
Vote for your favorite quarter online at: http://arts.utah.gov/quarter/survey.html
