Draper's ballots helped decide a $128 million county bond with no Draper project on its list

DRAPER — The two Election Day vote centers Draper ran for the 2026 General Election closed at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and with them the ballot drop box in the City Hall parking lot 12.

Draper City Hall's council chambers at 1020 E. Pioneer Rd. and the Draper Recreation Center's party room at 657 E. Vestry Rd. were the city's two in-person sites, open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 1. County voters were not tied to either one: the county states that a voter eligible in the election may use any vote center on its list, regardless of where in the county the voter lives, with valid identification required 1. The drop box at City Hall ran around the clock until the 8 p.m. close, and a mailed ballot had to be in the clerk's possession by the same hour 23. Early voting at City Hall ran Oct. 27 through Oct. 30, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. 3.

What those ballots decided is only partly settled. The county's returns are unofficial until the Salt Lake County Council canvasses them, which the county's bond election notice schedules for Nov. 17 at 4 p.m., with the period for contesting the bond election running 40 days after that date 4. As of 11:30 a.m. Wednesday the Tribune reported 60.8% of voters in favor of the bond 5; KSL reported the measure at 61% to 39% on a count of more than 243,000 votes 6.

The measure authorizes up to $128 million in general obligation bonds, maturing in no more than 11 years, for repairing, completing, acquiring, constructing or renovating open space, natural habitat, parks, community trails and recreation facilities 4. The county's parks department says the bond funds 30 projects across 25 locations, including two new recreation centers and 29 miles of new trails, and that it carries a $0 net property tax rate increase because older county bond debt is expiring — an estimated $16.39 a year, or $1.37 a month, for an average home 7.

None of the 30 projects is in Draper. The county's published project list, grouped into repair, complete and build categories, runs from a $55,000 sewer lift station replacement at Dimple Dell Regional Park to the West Jordan Recreation Center at Ron Wood Regional Park 8. The largest item nearest Draper is Herriman's Southwest Athletic Complex, Phase 1A, at $10 million for two athletic fields, lighting, a restroom, paved parking and a pedestrian trail connection under Mustang Way 8. One line item is countywide: $300,000 to replace ultraviolet sanitation equipment at county-operated pools and splash pads 8. The bond appeared on the ballot as a local special bond election, alongside the statewide constitutional amendments 9.

Draper's ballot also carried the countywide At-Large A council race. KSL reported Democrat Zach Robinson leading Republican Kathleen Anderson 65% to 33% on 262,183 ballots counted, a result that would give Democrats a 6-3 council majority next year if it holds 6. County Clerk Lannie Chapman told KSL she knew thousands of ballots remained to be counted but was unsure how many 6.

The remaining count has a schedule, not a settled total. The county's notice sets the canvass for Nov. 17, when the council declares the result of the bond election at its regular meeting place, the County Government Center at 2001 South State Street in Salt Lake City 4. Until then the numbers above are running counts: results are not final until the county certifies them later this month, KSL reported 6.