West SLC News

It is important for all citizens to let their voice be heard and exercise their right to vote. With this belief in mind, Riverton City actively encouraged residents to vote in the November election. In reviewing the data after the election, voter turnout in Riverton was 67.08%. 17,227 Riverton residents voted in the election. An additional 8,453 residents are registered to vote but did not cast a ballot.

Here are a few interesting facts:

• Turnout in Riverton was 2.1% higher than overall Salt Lake County turnout.
• Riverton had a higher turnout percentage than Bluffdale, Draper and Herriman, but slightly lower than South Jordan.
• Turnout on the “East Side” of Salt Lake County was 69.4%. Turnout on the “West Side” of Salt Lake County was 59.8%. We suspect this difference in turnout had an impact on the result in the County Council At-Large race and other races.

It is my hope that more eligible voters choose to vote in future elections. Communities with higher voter turnout like Cottonwood Heights, Holladay and Millcreek have much more influence on the results of countywide elections than communities with lower voter turnout.

Consider this. If turnout in cities on the west side of Salt Lake County matched that of Holladay at 76% turnout, there would have been an additional 43,315 votes cast. An additional 20,962 ballots would have been cast on the east side if all communities matched the 76% turnout. An extra 64,277 votes cast in any county election would have had a significant impact on race outcomes. That’s why it’s always important to never discount the value of a single vote. Single votes add up and decide the outcomes of elections, and by extension, how our government operates.

Original source can be found here.