Suddenly, a caller warns police that bombs are hidden at several polling places. They are set to go off in five minutes.

While hoping such a scare never happens, Utah election officials nonetheless are bracing for a range of what ifs. They want to be ready just in case Election Day turns into doomsday.

Of course, it wouldn't take a terrorist attack to disrupt an election. A simple fire alarm might prompt poll workers and voters to evacuate a precinct. An orange alert might force some polling locations to move from firehouses. A school lockdown could keep voters from reaching their polling place.

"Elections nowadays are much different than they used to be, unfortunately," Deputy Utah Elections Director Rozan Mitchell told county clerks and other officials Wednesday in a training session about polling place security. "We hope we don't have a crisis on Election Day . . . but we need to be prepared."

A large Nov. 2 attack could "cripple us," Mitchell conceded. "We may not be hit here, but we could get the fallout of a terrorist attack."

Federal officials have warned of possible attacks on or near Election Day. Terrorists bombed a train in March just a few days shy of Spain's elections.

Utah's most populous county, Salt Lake, faced a bomb threat in 2000 that forced officials to stand helplessly outside the County Government Center while phones rang unanswered inside. Clerk Sherrie Swensen now has an alternative site for a main election office, though she's keeping that location a secret.

"We're fairly well prepared," Swensen said.

State officials are advising that, in an emergency, even little things are important, such as providing poll workers with a list of phone numbers for officials.

"We don't want to freak your judges out," Mitchell said. "But at the same time, they need to be aware."

Election judges are being taught that if a polling place has to be evacuated, they should grab the ballot box and official register on their way out. Any ballots not yet completed are void.

Officials also are advising county election chiefs to:

l Advise poll workers to look for anything suspicious at polling places.

l Write an emergency plan and keep it in several locations.

l Secure an off-site backup location for counting results and answering phones.

l Establish a call list to notify staffers, state officials, candidates and the news media.

l Prepare a backup plan for counting votes.

l Keep copies of phone numbers and other critical information at home or another location.

Above all, state officials want election chiefs to work with law enforcement and stay in contact with them on Election Day.

An attack or even threat of an attack could delay vote tallies to the next day or longer. If counting machines can't be reached in Salt Lake County, for example, Swensen says she would try to make arrangements with a neighboring county - though that county may have to count its own votes, too.

What about the worst-case scenario: a terrorist attack that ends the election prematurely.

Utah has no law allowing a delay in the vote. However, State Elections Director Amy Naccarato says officials could work with the governor and the courts on a remedy.

All the frightening talk may be for naught, but election officials say that's OK with them.

"We're making all these plans," Naccarato said, "and we hope we never have to use them."

tburr@sltrib.com