From Deseret News archives:
Clerk post hotly contested
Swensen aims to keep seat; several aim to unseat her
Challengers Carrie Dickson, Republican, and Charles Bonsall, Libertarian, both say the office is due for a change, charging that party politics are preventing the clerk's office from best serving the public.
Personal Choice candidate Lawrence Topham also is running for Salt Lake County clerk. Attempts to reach Topham for comment were unsuccessful.
Swensen, who first took office in 1991, cites her experience as county clerk and her efforts to make sure residents are able to exercise their right to vote as reasons voters should return her to the post in 2007.
"I have striven through all the years that I've been here to encourage voter participation and make it easy and convenient for people to vote," she said.
During her four terms in office, Swensen has implemented several voter outreach programs, such as taking registration efforts to high schools and senior centers in the county.
Dickson praises Swensen for many of those voter-registration programs but says the incumbent clerk "falls short in helping people actually get to the polls."
As an example, Dickson cited Sept. 14 letters to voters in 350 precincts about possible changes to their polling locations for the upcoming election. The notices were given too close to the election, she said.
Dickson served as secretary to the Salt Lake County Republican Party from 2001-03. During that time and in the years since, Dickson said, she has struggled to get information on precinct boundaries from the clerk's office to organize community caucuses.
"It was like pulling teeth," she said, adding that on more than one occasion she observed requests from Democrats getting priority treatment. "That was my first indication that it wasn't a level playing field. If you stir my sense of fairness, that's really all it takes to get me driven."
Bonsall, a longtime Libertarian and retired manager with the Federal Aviation Administration, says he believes the county would be better off if neither Republicans nor Democrats occupied the office that oversees elections.
Comments
- For Reid, Dodd, clout cuts both ways 2:09 p.m.
- 12 dead in Afghanistan violence 2:02 p.m.
- Homicide charge filed in child's death 1:58 p.m.
- Late credit card payments drop in Q3 1:36 p.m.
- Study says basketball refs biased 1:13 p.m.
- Sanford faces 37 ethics charges 1:03 p.m.
- Woman killed in fall identified 1:00 p.m.
- October sales gains lift hopes 12:58 p.m.
- Home and garden news and notes 12:58 p.m.
- Ungrateful teen in your house? 12:54 p.m.
- Buttars wants to limit gay rights laws
213 - Glenn Beck to enter politics?
208 - RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks
181 - Palin plans tour stop in Utah
178 - BYU records with win
132 - Palin's book shows she's unqualified
129 - Officer cleared in Cardall Taser case
103 - BYU cuts Women's Research Inst.
102 - Jazz finally win in San Antonio
99 - Bronco, Kyle rubber match
97
Utah's only Pottery Barn at Trolley Square, 600 S. 700 East, has...
A little after midnight Wednesday morning, about 21 hours ago as I write...
Guess if Meyer says he's staying at Florida then he definitely is headed to...
ummm utah...dominating Defense???...when?...which game this year has utah...
Is there a liberal that doesn't want Palin to run? :-) BTW, I read. I know...
I totally agree with the author.
I wish I was there what a great win!
I bet these soccer haters never commented on badminton articles, 'cause they...
This game started out as a ho hum affair then got interesting in the 3rd and...
12:31 p.m. I wasn't refering to Earl's comment specifically. This isn't...
Wow, so you pick and choose what data you believe, then discount facts along...
This could be a sting.



You can be the first to comment on this story.