A stamp-ede of voters

Image courtesy of USPS.com

Thousands receive vote by mail ballots for City Council primary

Robby Poffenberger | Assistant News Editor | @robby_poff

In early July, thousands of Orem residents received a ballot with 10 strange names on it.

All 46,000 registered voters in Orem received a primary election ballot for the upcoming city council race. As of July 25, over 2,200 have been returned, according to Orem City’s figures.

The candidates—six men and four women—are competing for three slots on the six-member council. Electees work with Mayor Richard Brunst, who also votes as a member. Like the mayor’s job, positions on the board are officially non-partisan.

While many UVU students, particularly those from outside Happy Valley, may not know the candidates or the issues, Orem City’s election website provides a tool to compare each candidate’s answers to questions about their agendas, including, “What are your thoughts about economic development?” and “What do you perceive as being the three biggest opportunities/issues facing Orem?”

The top six vote-getters will advance to the general election, which will take place Nov. 3. Electees serve four-year terms, with elections staggered every two years. Two of the candidates—Hans V. Andersen Jr. and Mark Seastrand—are incumbents.

All ballots must be postmarked by Aug. 11 to be counted.