Cache County Clerk Jess Bradfield and Deputy Clerk Chelsea Booth remove the letters to Santa from the Letters to Santa box nest to the courthouse on Wednesday, Dec. 8 2021.
LOGAN – Cache County Clerk Jess Bradfield and the elves at his office have turned the ballot boxes around Cache County into Santa letter drop boxes. There is one at the county building, another at the Logan City Library and one at the Hyrum library.
The voter boxes have temporary graphics that say “Letters to Santa direct to the North Pole” on the front panel. On the side panel it says The North Pole Express.
“We thought it was a good way to use the left-over paper from when we went digital,” Bradford said. “It is a good service to the community.”
Just as Bradfield and Deputy Clerk Chelsea Booth were pulling the letters from the box, Susan Jaggi, the secretary at Ellis Elementary, brought about 30 letters from a first-grade class.
“We decided to do this as part of our voter outreach program,” he said. “This is probably the best way to teach kids where the ballot boxes are.”
He said they are in it for the long hall.
The elves in the clerk’s office are busy reading and answering the letters. So far, the elves have answered about 1,250 letters and have another 2,220 that came on Wednesday.
Booth said the letters are really fun to read.
“One boy said he wanted this or that for Christmas then he said, ‘and my mother would like a table’,” she said. “’I’ve been very nice to my parents, little brother and even the dog’.”
One child wrote, “I want a trip to Hawaii. You rock!” Another one wrote and asked for gifts for her siblings and didn’t ask for anything for her.
Here are some other letters as they were written:
“Dear Santa, How has your year been? I really loved my presents last year. Hope your ready for a big night. This year if you can I want an electric dump truck for Christmas please. I hope this picture will explain more.” (Two hand drawn diagrams were included)
“For Christmas I would like a stuff hander. Miny brans. 100’s fake munny. A cry baby. And school stuff and a prity brown hire d doll. I wish I had a doll that looked like me.”
“To the real Santa Clause this is confidential and private. People who peak will be prosecuted,” written on the envelope.
“Dear Santa, I hope you are doing well! I have been a good girl this year. There are a couple of presents I would like for Christmas. 1. Hatchimal Eggs, 2. Ice Cream pop its, 3. Cloths, 4. Coloring stuff, 5. Unicorn Squishy. Thank you so much.”
“Dear Santa, I want a wite dog and a rainbow high doll and a purse. Meree Christmis Santa.”
“Dear Santa, I know I haven’t the best this year but I was hoping I could get everything I want. 1 A 3 in 1 Barbie Camper, 2. An Ipad, 3. A Barbie Spa, 4. A Chelsea doctors office, 5. A hot cocoa mug that says my name on it. 6. Size 1 slippers.”
“Dear Santa, This year I would like a Bronco Sport, Spiderman and Ice cream toy for my kitchen. I hope you are enjoying a lot of Cookies.”
Deputy Clerk Booth said it has been a fantastic experience.
“These letters give us a real sense of what good kids we have in our community,” Booth said. “And the good parents who raise them.”