Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City authorizes mayor to sign interlocal agreement with Utah County; council rejects ranked-choice and fast-cast options
Summary
Woodland Hills approved the county-run election interlocal, set the declaration-of-candidacy window and directed staff to proceed with a standard municipal election rather than ranked-choice or fast-cast options.
The Woodland Hills City Council authorized the mayor to sign an interlocal agreement with Utah County for the administration of the city’s 2025 municipal election and directed that the city use standard balloting rather than ranked-choice voting or the county’s “fast-cast” option.
Jody, city staff who presented the interlocal agreement, said the declaration-of-candidacy period will run June 2–5 (city offices will be open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. those days because June 1 is a Sunday). Jody told the council that county services under the agreement include ballot printing, mailings, tabulation and early voting at the county building; the county picks up drop-box ballots multiple times per day, and county staff handle secure pickup. Jody said the county paid for camera installation on ballot boxes but that the city and county are responsible for staffing and related operational costs.
The council discussed ranked-choice voting (RCV) and an alternative county-proposed “fast-cast” ballot process. Council members and staff said feedback on RCV had been generally negative in prior experience; some councilors said RCV delayed results and confused voters in prior local implementations. Staff also said fast-cast ballots would require additional city staffing (the county’s fast-cast option would require three trained city-personnel in the office for two weeks), raising extra personnel cost and time.
Councilor Brian moved that the mayor be authorized to sign the interlocal agreement with Utah County and that the city not implement ranked-choice voting or the fast-cast option for 2025. The motion was seconded and approved in roll-call votes recorded in the meeting minutes.
What the agreement covers: County handling of ballot printing, mailing, tabulation, early voting option at the county building, multiple daily ballot-box pickups, and secure transfer of ballots to the county for counting. The city remains responsible for local advertising and in-office staffing. Jody noted that ballots must be received by election day (the city no longer accepts postmarks alone) and recommended voters deliver early if mailing ballots.
Why it matters: The interlocal agreement preserves county-run election services while keeping speed and staffing requirements manageable for the city. The council’s direction to remain with standard balloting avoids the logistical and legal questions the council and staff said surround RCV and the fast-cast process.
