20A Absentee voting -- No polling place for remote districts. (1) Whenever, on the 60th day before an election, there are 500 or fewer persons registered to vote in a voting precinct, the county legislative body of the county in which the voting precinct is located may elect to administer an election entirely by absentee ballot. (2) If the county legislative body of the county in which the voting precinct is located decides to administer an election entirely by absentee ballot, the county clerk shall mail to each registered voter within that voting precinct: (a) an absentee ballot; (b) a statement that there will be no polling place for the election; (c) instructions for returning the ballot that include an express notice about any relevant deadlines that the voter must meet in order for his vote to be counted; and (d) a warning, on a separate page of colored paper in bold face print, indicating that if the voter fails to follow the instructions included with the absentee ballot, he will be unable to vote in that election because there will be no polling place in the voting precinct on the day of the election. (3) Any voter who votes by absentee ballot under this subsection is not required to apply for an absentee ballot as required by this part. (4) (a) The county clerk of a county that administers an election entirely by absentee ballot shall: (i) obtain, in person, the signatures of each voter within that voting precinct before the election; and (ii) maintain the signatures on file in the county clerk's office. (b) (i) Upon receiving the returned absentee ballots, the county clerk shall compare the signature on each absentee ballot with the voter's signature that is maintained on file and verify that the signatures are the same. (ii) If the county clerk questions the authenticity of the signature on the absentee ballot, the clerk shall immediately contact the voter to verify the signature. (iii) If the voter does not confirm his signature on the absentee ballot, the county clerk shall: (A) immediately send another absentee ballot and other voting materials as required by this subsection to the voter; and (B) disqualify the initial absentee ballot.

Dear Registered Voters: The Federal government enacted a law called ‘Help America Vote Act’ (HAVA). Here are some of the important changes that were made to the way America holds elections: States were required to find an accurate, accountable and easy way to hold elections. Utah chose to use electronic voting machines. Access to polling places and voting apparatus had to be made easier for the handicapped. Early voting was instituted, mainly to prevent long lines. Voters were allowed to register for permanent absentee ballots. Some of those changes made it very expensive for small governments to hold elections. Early voting, especially. Many small precincts can’t afford to pay election judges to provide polling places four days a week for the two weeks before the elections. The Utah State Legislature, in an unusual moment of sympathy for small precincts, legislated a way to help them. They created a law (20A-3-302) that made it possible for county commissions to designate precincts with less than 500 registered voters as vote-by mail precincts. Several small towns in Washington County (Rockville included) approached the Washington County Commission on July 7 with a request to be vote-by-mail precincts. This Commission approved us as vote- by-mail precincts for this upcoming municipal election. This will be accomplished by absentee voter ballots being sent to all registered voters in Rockville. This action has many positive effects: The costs of holding an election will be significantly less for Rockville and you. There will be no need for polling places or poll workers and the costs related to them. We would have the cost of mailing the ballots and the return postage as well as three counting judges for a couple of hours to count the ballots. There will be no additional costs or human resource demands for early voting – an absentee ballot will be the way to vote early. It is very convenient for the voter. Ballots arrive in the mail about three weeks before the election. A voter can look up the candidates in the voter packet or on the new on-line candidate website, mark their ballots in the privacy and comfort of their homes and drop the ballot in the mail at their convenience. There won’t be any of the pressures of voters standing in line behind them while they reviewed the candidates on the ballot, or the frustration of waiting in long lines for the opportunity to vote. Election returns for mail-in precincts are consistently 80-90%. Counties all over Utah are encouraging small precincts to vote by mail. St. George City now has 2000 permanent absent voters. That’s more voters than in our five small towns combined. One of the laws enacted by the Utah legislature this year requires anyone who votes in person to provide poll workers with a picture ID that proves they live in the voting precinct. Absentee ballot envelopes have to be signed on the back, attesting that the person who cast the vote is the registered voter. That signature must be verified against the registration form. Using the County bar-coded labels and database, verification of most of those signatures can be done quickly by County staff day. The vote-by-mail process should make it easier for more people to vote. Approximately ten days before the ballots are to be mailed, registered voters will receive a post card reminding them that ballots will be arriving in the mail and to not throw them away as this will be their only opportunity to vote. There will also be a similar notice on colored paper included with the ballot. Mayor Dan McGuire, Councilmembers Jeff Ballard, David Hatfield, Pam Leach and Megan Honer-Orton and Rockville Town Clerk Elaine Harris

Package #6 BALLOT ENVELOPES We, the undersigned, Poll Workers of an election held at _____________________________________ Precinct ___________________ in ________________________________________________ County, Utah, on ________________________ Date, do certify that this bag contains all counted Absentee-Voter Envelopes in the amount of ____________________ for said precinct and for said election. Poll Worker INSTRUCTIONS TO POLL WORKERS-Enclose in this bag, all empty Absentee-Voter envelopes. Fill out and sign the Certificate above.

Package #7 PROVISIONAL BALLOTS We, the undersigned, Poll Workers of an election held at _____________________________________ Precinct ___________________ in ________________________________________________ County, Utah, on ________________________ Date, do certify that this bag contains all Provisional Ballots, and the Optical Scan Ballot Official Register in the amount of ____________________ Ballots, for said precinct and for said election. Poll Worker INSTRUCTIONS TO POLL WORKERS-Enclose in this envelope, all Provisional Ballots, and the Optical Scan Ballot Official Register. Fill out and sign the Certificate above.

RE: Election Watchers Dear Candidate, As a candidate for municipal office, you are entitled to appoint a “…person to act as a counting poll watcher to observe the counting of ballots [on Election Day], and another person to act as an inspecting poll watcher to inspect the condition and observe the securing of ballot packages.” (UCA 20A (1)(b)(ii)) Your appointment of both a counting poll watcher and inspecting poll watcher to represent you must be made by written affidavit. (20A (1)(b)(iii)) If you choose to appoint these poll workers, please sign and return the original, signed affidavit for each appointee, to the Town Hall by 1:00 pm on Tuesday, November 3, Inspecting poll watchers should be at the Town Hall by 6:30 pm on Tuesday, November 3, We expect the county election official to deliver the ballots to the town between 6:30 and 7:00 pm on Tuesday, November 3, Once ballots are received at the Town Hall the counting judges will begin removing ballots from the envelopes and putting them into the ballot box. The actual counting of the ballots will commence at 8:00 pm. Please have your counting poll watchers at the Town Hall by 8:00 pm so they can observe the counting. Although the law provides for only the counting judges and watchers to be in attendance during the ballot counting (UCA 20A (7)), the Town of Leeds has decided to permit the public to observe the counting process at Town Hall on Election Day. However, everyone that wishes to attend will be required to agree to follow certain stipulations (please find attached agreement). I have attached the affidavit forms for your convenience. Sincerely, Leeds Town Administrator Enclosures