Washington County Clerk Reports 40,000 Ballots Amid Hurricane Flood Concerns

Southern Utah residents face a compressed timeline to vote as floodwaters continue to reshape the landscape in the Hurricane area. With Election Day arriving tomorrow, officials in Washington County are urging voters to act quickly to ensure their ballots are counted.

County Clerk Auditor Ryan Sullivan reported that the vote processing center currently holds approximately 40,000 ballots. This volume reflects the steady pace of mail-in returns, but it also signals a tight window for those who have yet to submit their votes.

Sullivan confirmed that several residents from the Hurricane area contacted the office after losing or damaging their mail-in ballots due to the recent flooding. While the county had prepared for potential weather impacts on post offices and drop boxes, no damage to those infrastructure points has been reported so far.

For voters who have lost their ballots, Sullivan stated that the county recommends visiting an in-person vote center rather than requesting a replacement by mail. He noted that this is the first time in his three and a half years in office that a natural event has directly complicated the voting process to this degree.

Two locations will remain open tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. to accommodate these voters: the Hurricane Community Center and the Dixie Convention Center. Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson recently toured flood-damaged homes in Hurricane and reiterated that residents can visit these sites to cast a new ballot or cancel a damaged one if they have not yet voted.

Sullivan emphasized a recent legislative change regarding mail-in deadlines. A postmark is no longer valid; the county must physically receive all mail ballots by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Because of this rule, he advised against mailing ballots tomorrow, as delivery is too late. Voters should instead use the county's drop boxes or visit an in-person center to guarantee receipt.