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Voting & Elections Toolkits

Voting and advocacy resources by librarians for librarians

Voter Registration in Utah

Eligibility

  • Age: 18 years old on or before election day. If you are 16 or 17 years old, you can pre-register to vote. If you pre-register, you will automatically be registered to vote when you turn 18 years old.
  • Formerly incarcerated individuals: If you are a convicted felon, you can register and vote unless you are currently serving a jail or prison sentence. Your voting rights are automatically restored when you are granted parole, sentenced to probation, or successfully complete your term of incarceration.
  • Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen.
  • Residence: A resident of Utah for at least 30 days before the election. You are considered a resident of Utah if your principal place of residence is in the state and you have the intention of making your residence in Utah permanent or indefinite.
  • College students can either vote absentee in their home state or register to vote in Utah. You should register at the address that you consider your permanent residence. This may be your home address or your current address at school. If you are a resident of Utah and attending school away from home, you can request a mail ballot to be sent to your current address.
  • Check to see if you are already registered.

For more information, please visit the Vote.Utah website.

Deadline

Online registration

You must have a valid Utah driver license or valid Utah ID to register to vote using the online voter registration system.

Online registration form (in English).

Mail-in registration

Registering with a paper form. Fill out a paper registration form and mail or email a scanned copy to your county clerk. 

County Clerk Contact Information

Walk-in registration

Registering in-person at your county clerk’s office. Contact your county clerk’s office before visiting.

Printable form (in English).

County Clerk Contact Information

Refer to the box below for information about ID requirements.

Choosing a political party   

You may choose a political party affiliation when you register, but it is not required.                 

Updating registration      

To update registration after a move, name change, or change of political party affiliation, use the voter registration form on the Voter Registration Website.

Cancelling registration

The County Clerk in each county maintains the voter rolls. To remove someone from a voter roll, contact the local County Clerk.

Directory of County Clerks

ID Requirements for Utah Voters

ID Requirements for Registration

Online Registration

For online voter registration, a Utah drivers license or state ID is required.

Mail-in Registration

An ID is not required for mail-in registration, but you must provide one of the documents listed on the form to verify residence:

  • Driver’s license number, OR
  • Utah State Identification number, OR
  • Last four digits of Social Security number

Please note: You must present valid voter identification to the poll worker before voting, which must be a valid form photo identification that shows your name and photograph, or, (2) two different forms of identification that show your name and current address. 

ID Requirements for Voting

If you are not already registered to vote and are voting with a provisional ballot, you will need to show TWO acceptable forms of ID: one that verifies identity AND one for proof of residence.

ONE primary form of ID that is valid (not expired), has your name, and has your photograph. These types of IDs include:

  • Utah driver license
  • ID card issued by the state of Utah or the US Government
  • Utah concealed carry permit
  • US passport
  • Tribal ID card (does not require a photograph)
  • Currently valid US military ID card

OR

TWO forms of ID that, when combined, prove your name and current residence. These types of IDs may include:

  • Utility bill dated within 90 days of the election
  • Bank or other financial account statement
  • Certified birth certificate
  • Valid Social Security card
  • Check issued by the state or federal government
  • Currently valid Utah hunting or fishing license
  • Currently valid US military ID card
  • Certified naturalization documents (NOT a green card)
  • Certified copy of court records showing the voter’s adoption or name change
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs card
  • Tribal treaty card
  • Medicaid or Medicare or Electronic Benefits Transfer card
  • Currently valid ID card issued by a local government within Utah
  • Currently valid ID card issued by an employer
  • Currently valid ID card issued by a college, university, technical school, or professional school in Utah
  • Current Utah vehicle registration

For more information regarding Voter ID Requirements, please visit the Vote.Utah website.

Where to get an ID

Driver License Division Offices

Obtaining a Driver’s License

Casting a Ballot in Utah

Important Dates

  • Utah Presidential Primary Election: March 5, 2024
  • Utah State Primary Election: June 25, 2024
  • General Election: November 5, 2024
  • Voter registration must be received by the county clerk before 5:00 pm MST on Friday, October 25, 2024. However, voters may register to vote at an early voting location or at a polling location on Election Day, November 5th, 2024. Please bring at least two forms of identification to the polling location. 

Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Utah. Since Utah is a vote-by-mail state, please register to vote as you would for your mail ballot.

Military voters and voters who reside outside the U.S.

If you are an active member of the military, a spouse or dependent of an active military member, or you live outside of the United States, follow the steps below to vote:

  •  You can request a ballot online (requires valid Utah driver license or valid Utah ID) or by submitting a paper form to your county clerk.  You can request your ballot to be emailed, faxed, or mailed to you.  If you request an email or fax ballot, please note that state law requires you to waive your right to a secret ballot. The deadline to request a ballot is based on the date of the election. 
  • Submit Your Ballot. Follow the instructions provided with your ballot.  In order for your ballot to be counted, it must be received by your county clerk by 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) on Election Day OR you must send your ballot by 12:01 am (your local time) on Election Day.

If you did not receive a ballot and would like to vote, you can submit the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot.

For more information regarding, Military and Overseas Voters, please visit the Vote.Utah website.

Polling places and hours

  • Use the Polling Place Locator to find your polling place
  • Contact your local county clerk's office for polling place hours and locations. 
  • Time off to vote:

    Utah Election Code 20A-3a-105 does allow time off to vote. Per Code 20A-3a-105. Employee's right to time off for election:

    (1)(a) Each employer shall allow any voter to be absent from service or employment on election day for not more than two hours between the time the polls open and close.

          (b) The voter shall apply for a leave of absence before election day.

          (c)(i) The employer may specify the hours during which the employee may be absent.

               (ii) If the employee requests the leave of absence at the beginning or end of the work shift, the employer shall grant that request.

          (d) The employer may not deduct from an employee's usual salary or wages because of the absence.

    (2) This section does not apply to an employee who has three or more hours between the time polls open and close during which the employee is not employed on the job.
    (3) Any employer who violates this section is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.

  • All Utah elections will be run by mail-in ballot starting in 2020. 

Rides to the polls

Many organizations offer free rides to polling places. Some of these include:

  • Lyft provides free or discounted rides in some underserved communities
  • Political parties sometimes arrange rides for voters. Contact the local office:

 Please note that all Utah elections will be run by mail-in ballots beginning in 2020. 

 

Help for voters with disabilities

  • Disability Law Center offers information about voting in Utah.
  • Utah offers several options for disabled voters including voting by mail, voting at a polling location with machines that offer accommodations for visual or hearing impairments, or voting by email or fax. 
  • Utah law allows voters with disabilities to send and receive ballots via email or fax. You may request an email or fax ballot by submitting a paper application. The deadline to submit an application is determined by the date of the election. 
  • For more information for Voters with Disabilities, please visit the Vote.Utah website.

Ballots

Where to get more info on candidates

  • General Election: Mail ballots are sent to voters.

Elections

Primaries vs. general elections

  • Primary elections are conducted to select each party’s candidates in the general election.
  • In Utah, the Democratic Party conducts semi-closed primaries, meaning that a voter must either be a registered party member or unaffiliated in order to participate in the primary. The Republican Party conducts closed primaries in which voters must be registered members in order to participate.
  • In a general election, voters are not required to have a party affiliation.

Jurisdiction

Offices/Measures That May Appear on the Ballot
Federal (even years)

President/Vice-President (elected every four years; next election in 2024)

Senator (elected every six years for staggered terms; next election in 2024)

Representative (elected every two years)
State (even years)

Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Treasurer, State Auditor, Attorney General (elected every four years; next election in 2024)

Judicial Retention elections (even number years; varies by level of court)

State Senator (elected every two years)

State Representative (elected every two years)

Statewide ballot measures
Municipal (odd years)

School Board and other boards and commissions

Mayor

City/Town Council

Local ballot measures

County Clerk

Special Service Districts 

 

Who are the candidates, and what else is on the ballot?

Important Dates

  • Utah Presidential Primary Election: March 5, 2024
  • Utah State Primary Election: June 25, 2024
  • General Election: November 5, 2024

Current election information can be found at vote.utah.gov

Who conducts elections?

  • The Utah Lieutenant Governors Office oversees statewide and local elections
  • County Clerks maintain voter rolls for each municipality
  • County Clerks prepare ballots and administer balloting for each municipality

Voter Bill of Rights

Utah Election Code

 

Where to go with complaints about candidates or how elections are conducted

The Utah Office of the Lieutenant Governor oversees complaints about elections and potential election code violations in the state of Utah. When their office sees fit, they submit a complaint or potential violation of election code to the Utah Office of Attorney General for further investigation and/or prosecution.
 
 

Campaign finance

State of Utah Financial Disclosures provides access to candidates’ election committee and Political Action Committee campaign finance filings.

How to contact your elected officials:

Find your elected officials

General Resources on Voting and Elections

General Resources on Voting and Elections

Election Protection Hotlines

1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)

1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682) (en Español)

1-888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) (Asian multilingual assistance)

1-844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287) (Arabic)

Voter Registration & Election Day Resources

Find useful voter information including:

  • Local Election Office and Contact Information
  • Address, Telephone and Email for Local Election Offices
  • Upcoming Federal Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Upcoming State Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Eligibility Requirements
  • Identification Requirements
  • Voter Materials Transmission Options
  • State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered? Where’s my Ballot?

Population-Specific information and Resources

Voting Rights: Laws, Cases, Policy

Voter Engagement

Voter Education

Campaign Finance/Funding Information

Primary Sources, Lesson Plans & Exhibits

Disclaimer

Librarians from the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT), a Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA), created these reference guides. These guides are intended for informational purposes only and are not in any way intended to be legal advice.

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These guides are designated with a Creative Commons license and re-use and modification for educational purposes is encouraged.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.