2023 October — MELISSA BALLARD

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CHECKING IN AT THE LEGISLATURE:
October 2023

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The November 21st election is right around the corner! You will see ballots in your mailbox starting today from the Davis County Clerk, Brian McKenzie. You are always welcome to reach out to him or schedule your own visit to the election office to ask about and see our secure election process at the Davis County Admin Building (Room 104) 61 South Main Street, Farmington 84025. Office Hours M - F 8am to 5pm (801) 451-3589.

I’ve included multiple resources in the body of this newsletter about efforts we have taken in Utah to ensure ballot integrity and eliminate fraud, and included candidate information for the November 2023 General Election.

Thanks for being registered voters!

Warmest regards,

Melissa Ballard

Helpful Links

See the October Interim highlights here and all other interims here
See two great articles about the Utah Marriage Commission here and here
See an article about the Golden Spike Monument here
See voter information links here: Bountiful; Woods Cross; Salt Lake County.
See election results on the Davis County website here
Go to this link to verify your ballot has been received

In this Issue:

Election Integrity Bill Information
Special Election Information
Golden Spike Celebration
Utah Marriage Commission
Carnegie Hall Performance

Election Integrity Bill Information

In the past two years, Utah's Legislature enacted several significant election law improvements, with a focus on election integrity. Notably, we passed three key bills: H.B. 313, which mandates an annual voter registration audit, clarifies voting rules, and enhances security measures; H.B. 269, which requires regular election procedure audits by the Legislative Auditor General; and H.B. 448, which establishes uniform statewide election processes, introduces public reconciliation of ballot tabulation, and addresses recommendations from the 2022 Performance Audit of Utah's Election System. These legislative actions aim to enhance the transparency, security, and oversight of Utah's elections.

Special Election Information

A special election to fill the seat representing Utah's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House will be held in 2023. The general election will be held November 21, 2023. The primary election was held September 5, 2023. See more information here.

Golden Spike Celebration

The 7,000-pound, 43-foot Golden Spike Monument, crafted by artist Douwe Blumberg, arrived in Utah to honor the faceless heroes who built the transcontinental railroad in 1869. The monument, which had been coated with a protective layer of wax, was on display at the Utah State Capitol on Oct. 23, 2023. The public had the chance to witness this iconic creation before it headed to its permanent home at Brigham City's Golden Spike Park.

Utah Marriage Commission

A good marriage is not a matter of luck. The goal of this commission has always been to provide Utahns with high quality educational resources to help them navigate this wonderful learning and growing process that we call marriage. Visit my facebook here to see my speech about the Utah Marriage Commission. Visit here to see a video about the Utah Marriage Commission. Go here to register for the state-wide date night February 9, 2024, and for an extensive FREE library of resources to improve your relationships, from dating, engagement, newlyweds, strengthening your marriage, divorce, and remarriage.

Carnegie Hall

Performing in NYC Carnegie Hall was incredible! All my family, great friends, and world renowned musicians for a spectacular performance. It was a thrill to be on stage with intimate acoustics and the finest instruments in the world, including a 1692 Stradivarius violin. Check out a Desert News article about it here.