Utah Policy: Voting by mail or in person? Partisan differences exist

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Utah Policy Daily Newsletter

The UtahPolicy.com daily newsletter gets you up to speed on the top local and national news about politics and public policy. Send news tips or feedback to lwebb@utahpolicy.com,.

Situational Analysis - October 15, 2020

Welcome to Thursday. Good news: We're one day closer to the election being over. Bad news: the negative attack ads in the 4th District are only going to intensify.

TICK TOCK

Today is the 3rd Congressional District debate (10/15/2020)
4 days to the 2nd Congressional district debate (10/19/2020)
6 days to the Utah Attorney General debate (10/21/2020)
7 days to the third presidential debate (10/22/2020)
19 days to the 2020 election (11/3/2020)
96 days to inauguration day (01/20/2021)
102 days to the start of the 2021 Utah Legislature (1/25/2021)

Trivia Quiz Answer

Douglas Devore is again the weekly trivia quiz winner, being first to correctly answer Rep. Mike Winder's question: "In the summer of 1988, which Utah congressional candidate was personally asked by Pres. Ronald Reagan to make him some jelly bean ice cream? Six gallons of the custom-made concoction was later shipped to the White House."
The answer, of course, is Richard Snelgrove, who was an owner of Snelgrove Ice Cream and today is a Salt Lake County Council member. Others who got the answer right, but were too late, were Mike Mower, Joe Hansen, Orrin Colby, Craig Call and Ron Fox.

Today At Utah Policy

Poll: Voting by mail or in person? Partisan differences exist
By Staff
All registered Utah voters will get mail-in ballots soon, as most counties mailed them out Tuesday. But a new Y2 Analytics poll finds that just over one-third plan to fill out those ballots and mail them in. While another third say they plan to fill out their mail-in ballots, but hand-deliver them to either their Nov. 3 polling place in-person, or drop them off in an official county ballot drop-off location -- apparently not trusting the U.S. Postal Service to get them to clerks in time to be counted.Webb's Wrap: Will Trump lose? . . . The impressive Amy Barrett . . . Get back to work to reduce virus spread
By LaVarr Webb
Who will win? I am frequently asked who I think will win the presidential election. I really have no idea. I won't predict anything related to Trump. I've been wrong too many times about him. A lot of Democrats and liberal media commentators are confident it's going to be a landslide for the Democrats. All my political instincts tell me Trump will lose. I believe the polls are generally accurate. I think reputable pollsters have tweaked their methodologies to capture the so-called "secret Trump voters." It seems to me that Trump has lost - unnecessarily so, in my opinion - a lot of mainstream Republicans.New report examines constitutional amendments before voters
By Utah Foundation
Utah Foundation launched its new election-year product - On the Ballot - which examines ballot measures. On the Ballot: Constitutional Amendments, November 3, 2020, analyzes seven proposed amendments. The purpose of the report is to inform voters of the substance of the propositions. Utah Foundation takes no positions on the amendments.

Utah Headlines

Deseret News

Jay Evensen: To beat COVID-19, be more like Japan ACT national average composite scores lowest in a decade Why Sen. Mike Lee says Barrett would be evenhanded Supreme Court justice Complaint against Salt Lake councilwoman for calling shooting 'unlawful' dismissed COVID-19 trashed Utah's $10B travel and tourism scene, but it may be on the rebound Ben McAdams, Burgess Owens both praise 'warp speed' vaccine effort Joe Biden and President Donald Trump will have town hall events Thursday night ... at the same time

Salt Lake Tribune

Small earthquake shakes central Utah near Price Religion is essential, even during a pandemic, Latter-day Saint apostle David Bednar tells global forum Utah's contact tracers are getting stonewalled, hurting efforts to slow the coronavirus outbreak Last chance to participate in census. It ends Thursday. Pandemic creates bicycling boom in Utah Sen. Mike Lee asks Amy Coney Barrett about religious freedom, persecution Ballot printing error in Sanpete County creates confusion Rep. Chris Stewart reintroduces bill to create a controversial sixth Utah national park Salt Lake City Council member cleared in ethics complaint over her comments criticizing officers who shot Bernardo Palacios-Carbajal Utah sees signs of a tourism rebound and Zion sets a new record

Other

Pandemic has led to 'upward trend' in some cases assigned to Utah County public defenders (Daily Herald) Weber County voters: Ballots are on the way (Standard-Examiner) Weber jail reports rare possible case of an inmate's coronavirus reinfection (Standard-Examiner) Stewart revives bill that would create national park, codify reductions at Grand Staircase (St. George Spectrum)

National Headlines

Smoking-gun email reveals how Hunter Biden introduced Ukrainian businessman to VP dad (New York Post) Voters have right to know what Joe Biden did for son Hunter (New York Post) If history is a guide, Trump will either win bigger than 2016 - or lose (New York Daily News) Biden Is Not Out of the Woods (New York Times) The Audacity Of Amy (American Mind) California's Energy Dreamin' (RealClearEnergy) William Barr: Founders gambled on virtue prevailing over passions (Washington Times) God help us: Religion's influence on the 2020 presidential election (Seattle Times) Court packing is no hypothetical (Washington Examiner) It's Not 'Court Packing.' Don't Be A Moron and Call It That. (Talking Points Memo) Why the Senate Should Confirm Amy Coney Barrett (First Things) The problem with Amy Coney Barrett's nomination isn't timing. It's her views. (Guardian) Social Media's Role in Democracy: More Harmful Than Helpful? (RealClearPolitics) Determined voters endure long lines to cast early ballots in historic election (CNN) A tearful lesson of 2016: Polls don't matter if people don't vote (The Hill) Starbucks pledges to have 30 percent of corporate employees identify as a minority by 2025 (The Hill) What China and Russia Hope to Gain From Sharing Their Covid Vaccines (Wall Street Journal) Big banks are cautiously optimistic about the economic recovery (Yahoo Finance)

Policy News

Stewart proposes new national park in Utah
WASHINGTON, D.C. Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) has reintroduced the Grand Staircase Escalante Enhancement Act (H.R. 8446) which aims to create Utah's sixth national park, the Escalante Canyons Park and Preserve. Rep. Stewart originally introduced this legislation in the 115th congress (H.R. 4558). Following the bill's introduction, Congressman Stewart released the following statement:Romney to unveil plan to improve wildfire policy
SALT LAKE CITY--U.S. Senator Mitt Romney on Wednesday will announce his plan to establish a wildfire commission which would conduct a national review of wildfire policy and make recommendations to Congress. Joining Romney are Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox, Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini, and Public Information Officer for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands Jason Curry.Adams & Wilson sign letter of support for Barrett SCOTUS nomination
Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams and Speaker Brad Wilson issued the following statement regarding a joint letter signed by legislative leaders from around the country approving the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. "We joined legislative leaders from all 50 states and 92 legislative chambers across the country supporting President Donald Trump's nominee to the United States Supreme Court, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Judge Barrett is more than qualified to fill the vacant seat, and we support her confirmation without delay.Guest opinion: What do you want from college?
When it comes to higher education in the United States today, it seems to me there are at least three realities that we need to recognize and try to harmonize. The first is that our system of higher education is broken, corrupt, and irretrievable. That results in students getting, at best, a defective and, at worst, a politicized education, at a cost that is so exorbitant as to approach obscenity.What is the State's New COVID-19 Transmission Index?
The State of Utah has released the new coronavirus health guidance levels -- COVID-19 Transmission Index -- to replace the Utah Leads Together color-coded phased guidelines. The Index is a balanced approach intended to protect communities and represents collaborative work of state and local public health officials, the Governor's Office, legislative leaders, the hospital industry, and business leaders.

BUSINESS HEADLINES

Utah sees signs of a tourism rebound and Zion sets a new record (Salt Lake Tribune) COVID-19 trashed Utah's $10B travel and tourism scene, but it may be on the rebound (Deseret News) Despite pandemic, some Utah employers are adding scores of new jobs (Deseret News)

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

(From History.com)

1917 - Mata Hari, an exotic dancer and the archetype of the seductive female spy, is executed for espionage by a French firing squad at Vincennes outside of Paris.
1989 - Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings breaks the NHL points record, going ahead of Gordi Howe's record (1,850) in the final period of a game against the Edmonton Oilers.
1990 - Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev wins the Nobel Peace Prize for his work ending Cold War tensions.
1991 - After a bitter confirmation hearing, Clarence Thomas is confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court on a 52-48 Senate vote.