Sherrie Swensen, Biography
Sherrie Swensen, Salt Lake County Clerk, currently is serving her fifth, four year term. As County Clerk, Ms. Swensen directs the Marriage and Passport Services Division, the Elections Division and the Council Clerks Division for Salt Lake County.
Ms. Swensen believes in the fundamental right of all citizens to vote and, to that end, encourages voter participation by making the process as easy and accessible as possible. She advocates Election Day Registration, early voting and voting by mail.
Ms. Swensen formerly served as the Director of Administration for the Utah State Democratic Party. Prior to that, she worked for the United Transportation Union, the Community Action Program, the Utah State Legislature and sold real estate.
Since becoming County Clerk, Ms. Swensen has vigorously pursued voter registration efforts, encouraging all citizens to exercise their important and fundamental right to vote. As part of this effort, she implemented the "High School Voter Registration Program" and has annually visited high schools conducting voter registration drives and encouraging student involvement in the electoral process.
Ms. Swensen has coordinated and established several successful programs to make voter registration more convenient for residents in Salt Lake County. She established the countertop display boxes for by-mail registration forms. These displays appear in hundreds of locations countywide, including post-offices, and libraries. Her other innovative grass-roots programs include the "Clerk Mobile" which she takes to shopping centers where people can conveniently register. Ms. Swensen also conducts registration drives at community events, conferences and business gatherings. She established the "Senior Tour," visiting senior citizen centers throughout the County, registering voters and encouraging permanent vote by mail.
In 2006 the State of Utah converted from the punch card system to the new touch screen voting devices. The change to new voting technology is a result of the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA), passed by Congress in 2002. The 2006 Primary Election was the first election held using the new touch screen devices and after months of preparation was a sweeping success. The Salt Lake County Clerk's Office had the enormous task of providing extensive training to poll workers. Officials and local media praised the poll workers' competency and helpfulness at the polls, noting that poll workers were instrumental in fostering voters' confidence in the electronic voting process. In 2006 the Lieutenant Governor of Utah, Gary Herbert used the training provided to poll workers by the Salt Lake County Clerk's Office as an example of how to successfully train poll workers.
Ms. Swensen spearheaded legislation in 1992 that changed the State's marriage law. After only three months in office, Swensen realized there was a problem with Utah’s marriage law when a fourteen year-old was brought from Texas to marry a fifty-six year old man. Swensen immediately asked for a legislative bill to be sponsored to change the existing law. After the law was changed, it required that a fourteen or fifteen year old interview with a juvenile court judge to determine if they were voluntarily entering into the marriage. Prior to the adoption of the new State Law, Utah was one of only three states in the Nation that allowed a child to marry with the consent of only one parent. Often, older men were coming to Utah to marry young girls and take advantage of Utah's lenient law. Under the stricter law, the number of fourteen and fifteen year old teens marrying decreased by two thirds. In 1999. the law was changed again so fourteen year olds can no longer marry in Utah and a juvenile court judge must give permission before a fifteen year old can marry.
Ms. Swensen proposed and successfully lobbied for the passage of House Bill 488, "Emergency Absentee Ballots," passed during the 1996 legislative session. This law allows people hospitalized or confined to a care facility after absentee ballots have been mailed out, to vote. Individuals falling into this category may now have a ballot hand-carried to them by a friend or relative.
Ms. Swensen was born in Murray and resided in Midvale for 28 years prior to moving to Sandy in 1998. She has two sons and seven grandchildren. She enjoys all sports including bowling, tennis and rollerblading, but particularly loves water skiing. She was involved in little-league sport's programs for over ten years. Ms. Swensen served on the Executive Board of the Ute Conference and was both president and secretary of the Hillcrest Little League Football program.
Ms. Swensen did volunteer work for youth baseball and basketball programs as well. She served on the Board of Directors for the Advocates for People with Mental Retardation (ARC) and numerous civic boards and is involved in many community organizations.
