Utahns head to the polls for primary election

SALT LAKE CITY — Today is Election Day in St. George, Ogden and all of Utah.

Although weather will cause St. George and Ogden to feel like different worlds — highs in the two cities are expected to reach 97 and 79 degrees, respectively — ballot boxes and polling places will be common threads uniting the two cities and the rest of the state, residents of which can vote in the same primary election.

Among the high-profile races, Republicans will select a candidate for the U.S. Senate, and Democrats will choose a candidate to run for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Of eligible Utah voters, approximately 3.8 percent already had voted early or completed absentee ballots as of Monday.

Mark Thomas, office administrator for Lt. Gov. Greg Bell, whose office oversees Utah elections, said recent trends predict total voter turnout for this primary election will be approximately 10 percent.

"In the past, about 45 percent of the voters in an election vote before Election Day," Thomas said. "So if you take that trend and (plug in) 3.8 percent, and you say that's 45 percent of the overall total, then you're looking at around 10 percent total.

"Now, we are hearing that there are some voters who just aren't sure whom to vote for, and so they didn't vote early. They're waiting for Election Day to get all the information they can to make their decision. If that turns out to be quite a few people, then we may see that (10 percent) number jump up a little bit."

Shortly after polls close at 8 p.m., results from early voting and absentee ballots will be available at deseretnews.com. Every five minutes thereafter and until results are finalized, voting data on the Deseret News website will be updated according to the latest information provided by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

Vote results will update online every 5 minutes

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visit deseretnews.com beginning at 8 p.m. for the latest election results. Voting data will be updated every five minutes until results are final.

e-mail: jaskar@desnews.com