It is voting season in Utah which means many of us have received our ballots and are (hopefully) researching all the voting options.  

So, here are some things you need to know about what is on this year’s Washington County ballot. I won’t be telling you what you should and shouldn’t vote for but rather what those tricky wording suggestions actually mean. Oh, and if your vote even matters from some things.  

This year is of course the presidential election so that will be on the ballots but from a more local standpoint, there are schoolboard nominees, state roles, and a few amendments to the Utah constitution.  

Most if not ALL the candidates you can vote for have some sort of website that will tell you who they are, what they stand for, and what they will work toward. Even the schoolboard nominees have web pages that talk about their time in education and what they want to achieve.  

So, you can look up all these people online and check out their stance on issues and vote accordingly. Just remember to not be a one-issue voter.  

Next up are the amendments A-D on the ballot. Basically, two of them won't even matter because the courts agreed to void it for “misleading” language and other issues. However, they will still show up on the ballot due to timing. 

Amendment D basically gave legislature power over any ballot initiative, Utah News Dispatch said.  

Amendment A was aimed at allowing income tax revenue to be used for purposes outside what is what meant for; higher education, public education, and services for people with disabilities and children, Utah News Dispatch said.  

Because it wasn’t properly publicized this amendment was also voided but still made it onto the ballot.  

Moving on to amendments where your vote does count let's look at B and C.  

Amendment B is also geared toward education, specifically public education. The amendment proposes an increase of state allocated funds for public education from 4% to 5%. No, you don’t have to pay more, it just means that more of what you already pay that goes to this fund will be used for public education.  

Amendment C is kind of a weird one. It asks if the Utah constitution should keep it so that counties elect a sheriff for a four-year term. The reason that's a bit odd is because that is already in the Utah constitution. Of the 29 counties in the state, there are 29 elected sheriffs. It wants to know if you are for or against this procedure and if it should remain in the Utah Constitution, Ballotpedia said.  

Lastly, there is a RAP Tax proposal for Washington County. Before you freak out, no you will not be paying more in taxes. The RAP or Recreation, Arts and Parks Tax aims to use tax funds to support anything that fits into the “RAP” section. It has already been around for 10 years but is up for renewal, the RAP Tax pamphlet said.  

This can go toward parks, athletic fields, trails, non-profit organizations and more. The tax is 0.01% which is a penny for every $10.  

These are all the amendment you should know about and make sure to do your research before you vote! 

 

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Here's which party received the highest percentage of votes in prior elections.

Gallery Credit: Chris Cruise // Townsquare Media

 

 

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