Under recent changes to state election laws, all municipal elections in Utah must now be conducted through mail-in balloting.
LOGAN – Balloting in the Primary Election held Sept. 5 has narrowed the field of hopefuls for three at-large seats on the Logan Municipal Council from nine to six candidates.
The survivors of primary balloting are incumbent council members Mark A. Anderson and Jeannie F. Simmonds, plus challengers Mike Johnson, Joe Needham, Katie Lee-Koven and Erin Bennett.
Logan voters chose to eliminate the candidacies of Stefani A.M. Taylor, Joshua M. Molitor and Matthew Fatuesi in the Sept. 5 primary election.
Here in Cache County, only Logan, Hyrum, North Logan and Smithfield were required by state law to hold municipal primaries on Sept. 5 to winnow their fields of candidates for city council posts.
Of a total of 37,857 voters in 55 precincts within those municipalities, County Clerk/Auditor David Benson reported that 8,384 mail-in ballots were received, for an unofficial voter turn-out of 22.15 percent.
In the Logan races, 11,011 ballots were cast.
According to unofficial tallies available late Tuesday evening, business owner Mark A. Anderson captured 2,380 ballots (21.61 percent of the vote); photo/video producer Mike Johnson earned 1,769 ballots (16.07 percent); Utah State retiree Jeannie F. Simmonds got 1,727 ballots (15.68 percent); former Logan council member Joe Needham captured 1,548 ballots (14.06 percent); Hillcrest Neighborhood Council chair Katie Lee-Koven earned 1,478 ballots (13.42 percent); and Western Governors University graduate Erin Bennett got 830 ballots (7.54 percent).
The three eliminated candidates all scored percentages in low single-digits.
The six surviving primary contenders will now face off in the general election that is set for Tuesday, Nov. 21.
Originally, municipal primary elections throughout Utah were slated to take place on Aug. 15, with the general election following a little over two months later on Nov. 7.
To accommodate a special election in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart, however, lawmakers voted during a special session of the Legislature to adjust those dates.
The three candidates who earn the most votes in the general election will serve four-year terms on the Logan Municipal Council beginning Jan. 2, 2024.