Three candidates are competing for an open seat on the Utah County Commission, and ballots are already in voters' hands.

Democrat J. Allen, Republican David M. Spencer and Forward Party candidate David Hinckley want Commission Seat B. The seat is one of two open after Commissioners Amelia Powers Gardner and Brandon Gordon chose not to seek reelection, according to KSL. The three-member commission governs services across Alpine, Highland, Cedar Hills, Lehi and every other city in the county.

Utah County mailed ballots to every active registered voter on Oct. 13, according to the Lehi Free Press. Completed ballots must reach the county elections office by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3. A postmark no longer counts.

The Lehi Free Press and American Fork Citizen sent the same questionnaire to all three candidates. Here is where each stands.

Allen: Halt data centers, freeze commissioner pay

Allen, a Democrat, said he spent 30 years as a technology executive running complex organizations. He pledged to stop construction of AI data centers without public support and to vote against pay raises for commissioners.

He also said he wants evidence-based decision-making to guide transportation, infrastructure and land-use policies across the county.

Allen said he was born in Atlanta and settled in Utah 40 years ago. He described himself in the questionnaire as "curious, thoughtful, teachable, a listener, a problem solver, a consensus builder."

Spencer: Cut taxes, boost public safety

Spencer, a Republican, won the June primary with 42% of the vote, according to KSL. A former Orem City Council member, Spencer said he served 12 years on that body. At an Alpine City Council meeting in May, he said a county commissioner never visited Orem during his tenure to ask about the city's needs. He pledged to visit every city to meet with mayors, councils and residents.

In the questionnaire, Spencer said his top priorities are opposing unnecessary tax and fee increases, cutting waste and supporting public safety. He pointed to his council record, saying he helped deliver a new Orem City Center with no new debt and improved parks and water infrastructure.

Spencer and his wife, Julie, raised their family in Orem.

Hinckley: Restructure the commission

Hinckley, running under the Forward Party banner, works in higher education leading a team of data analysts. He holds a master's degree in management.

His top priority is managing what he called the county's "extraordinary growth." He said the county needs better coordination between cities, transportation agencies and the state Legislature so infrastructure keeps pace with development. He also called for housing policies that keep families near jobs rather than "pushing growth farther west and creating longer commutes."

His most structural proposal: replacing the three-member commission with a seven-member, district-based council and a professional county manager.

Hinckley lives in Orem with his wife, Marie, and their six children.

How to vote

The voter registration deadline is 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, though same-day provisional registration is available at vote centers.

Early voting runs Monday, Oct. 26 through Friday, Oct. 30 and Monday, Nov. 2 at the Health and Justice Building, 151 S. University Ave. in Provo, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, any county vote center is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters mailing ballots should use one of 28 drop boxes around the county rather than relying on the mail.