Early voting starts today, October 23, 2012. The Health and Justice Building is the only place in Provo where people can cast an early ballot, and even though the polls have only been open for three hours, there are a lot of Provoans who are done with the election.
“It’s pretty serious to me; really quite serious actually,” said Gary King, a local voter.
About one and a half million Utahns are registered to vote. Experts predict a high turnout here because of Mitt Romney’s close ties to the state. Besides being passionate about the election, voters also came early for practical reasons.
When asked why she came early, Vanessa Meneses responded, “Mostly because I didn’t want to wait in the long lines. I think it’s better to come early because you can get in and out quicker.”
Some voters say they’ve heard and seen enough that they have made up their minds. “I just feel like I know the candidates. I’ve researched them; might as well vote early,” said Patti Smart.
Utah is one of thirty-two states with early voting laws. The Associated Press says that almost 4.5 million votes have already been cast nationwide, including in swing states like Ohio and Florida.
There are 5 early voting locations in Utah county that are open from now until November 2nd. Go to http://vote.utah.gov/ to find out where you can vote early.
