House endorses optional 'voting centers'

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The House on Monday passed a bill that would allow Utah voters, if they choose, to cast ballots at a central location on Election Day rather than at their locally assigned polling places.

HB130, which passed on a 71-0 vote and now goes to the Senate, would permit people to go to "voting centers" close to businesses or central locations that would allow residents from anywhere in their county to more conveniently cast ballots.

Rep. Rebecca Chavez-Houck, D-Salt Lake City, sponsor of the bill, said such centers — usually in city halls or county clerk offices — are now used for early voting. She said it would be more convenient for many people to vote there during lunches or breaks from work, but state law prohibits having those centers open on Election Day itself.

The bill would allow counties to choose whether to offer such centers. Chavez-Houck said technology advances could ensure that people could not vote in more than one location.