Open Government? Not in SL Co.

I proud to live in Utah Co.  We have some amazing folks that work in the elections office.  Promptly last Friday morning, as promised, the elections office sent me the precinct by precinct breakdown for Referendum 1.  Along with the data came an apology for the inconvenience.  (Traditionally precinct-level election information is posted on the county website, but the referendum/city election process was unique and they missed it.)  There was also a caveat:  the data isn't complete (absentee and provisional ballots still need to be counted).  As soon those ballots were counted, the elections office indicate they would send out an update.

In the Salt Lake County election office it's an entirely different matter.  That office has been unwilling or unable to provide any precinct-level data, telling requesters that they will have to wait almost 2 weeks (post election) for the information.  So much for open, responsive government.  A government agency should readily make any and all public information, not hide it from view.

Way to go Utah Co.!

Comments

[Voice of Utah]

If they had refused to provide it at all, you might have a point. Otherwise, this just seems a bit, well, whiny.

[John Dougall]

The data should have been available real-time as the election occurred. The next best option would have been promptly after the election. That is typical standard practice. Why withhold the data? Why make citizens request it in the first place?

Perhaps you are unaware that I am a champion of openness in government. I will continue to work toward easier access for the public.

[John Talcott]

Dear Representative Dougall,

Since you are such a champion of "openness in government", I'm sure that you will work hard in the next legislative session to put an end the longstanding practice of the Republican Majority deciding in closed meetings which bills introduced by Democrats and more moderate Republicans will not be voted out of committee to be debated on the floor of the house or the senate---let alone put to a vote.

This onerous practice of YOUR political party is one of the more egregious symptoms of the underlying illness of the political system in Utah caused by the fact that there are no checks and balances in State government because of the dominance of one political party.

You "talk the talk" about open government very impressively on your blog. During the next legislative session, let's see if you "walk the walk" as well. I'm looking forward to discussing this topic again with you at that time.

John Talcott
a retired teacher and fed up Democrat in Utah County

[Mark Steele]

"The data should have been available real-time as the election occurred. The next best option would have been promptly after the election. That is typical standard practice."

I wouldn't want the information to be available till after the polls closed, so early results couldn't be used to sway later-in-the-day voting.

But you're right--with electronic voting, why would it take much time at all to verify and announce results?