2021 VOTER GUIDE
2021 General Election Dates
This year 23 cities are participating in the Municipal Alternative Voting Methods Pilot Project, which is a fancy way to say that they are trying out Ranked Choice Voting.
They are South Salt Lake, Magna, Bluffdale, Draper, Lehi, Payson, Riverton, Springville, Vineyard, Goshen, Newton, Woodland Hills, Genola, Sandy, Nibley City, Millcreek, Moab, River Heights City, Cottonwood Heights, Elk Ridge, Salt Lake City, Midvale, and Heber City.
Week of October
11
Primary ballots will begin to be mailed out by the county clerk.
October
26
Last Day to Request Replacement Ballot (If Voter has Not Received Original).
November
1
Last day to mail your ballots in. All ballots must be postmarked by the day before election day.
November
2
ELECTION DAY!
You can vote in person at a polling place or drop your ballot off at a drop box.
If you aren’t registered to vote on election day, you can still register and cast a “provisional ballot” at a polling place. You’ll need to bring two forms of ID to a polling location with you.
HOW TO VOTE
How to Register to Vote ✍️
The last day to register online for the 2021 primary election is July 30, 2021.
Online voter registration is available for Utah residents with a valid driver’s license or state ID, by visiting the Utah Voter Registration website; the form must be submitted at least eleven days before an election. Note that if the voting address is not the same as the driver’s license address, the license must be updated with the Driver License Division before registering.
The last day to register to vote by mail for the primary election is July 30, 2021.
Mail-in voter registration is available by filling out the State of Utah Voter Registration form found here; the form must be postmarked at least 30 days before an election, or delivered in person to the county clerk at least eleven days before an election. Note that one of the following is required:
- Utah driver’s license number;
- Utah state identification number; or
- Last four digits of your Social Security number.
The last day to register in-person is August 10, 2021.
In-person voter registration is available at the county clerk’s office in your county, as well as at the Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Workforce Services, and Utah State Department of Health; in-person registration must be done at least eleven days before an election.
Election Day, November 2, 2021, is the last day to vote in person.
Election day voter registration is available at polling locations for those who have a photo ID and can provide proof of residency, such as a utility bill. Voters complete provisional ballots, which are verified by their county clerks. Learn more here.
Special Exceptions and Processes
Members of the military can register online or register and request an absentee ballot by using the Federal Post Card Application from the Federal Voter Assistance Program.
Homeless persons can register to vote without a home address, by identifying a place of residence (which might be a street corner or park) and a mailing address (which might be a shelter or outreach center).
College students must register using a permanent address, which can be either a home or school address. Out-of-state students who register to vote in Utah will be forfeiting home-state residency.
If you are incarcerated for a misdemeanor, or if you are a person in pre trial-detention, you are still eligible to vote.
If you are currently incarcerated for a felony conviction, you are NOT eligible to vote.
Convicted felons’ voting rights are automatically restored upon receiving parole or probation, or being released from incarceration.
Youths ages 16 and 17 may preregister to vote online or by submitting a State of Utah Voter Registration Form. Voting in primary elections is permitted for 17-year-olds who will be 18 by the general election.
Requirements to register to vote in Utah
- U.S. citizenship
- Resident of Utah for at least 30 days before the election
- At least 18 years old on the day of the election
👉 Reregistration is required for anyone who has moved, had a legal name change or wants to change party affiliation.
How to Check your Voter Status
Always double-check your voter registration to make sure you are registered to vote and your ballot is sent to the correct address. Voters can find their current registration status, update registration, request a mail-in ballot, track their mail and provisional ballots, and find polling and drop-box locations by visiting vote.utah.gov. The earlier you check your voter registration, the easier it is for the County Clerk to make any necessary changes.
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Options for Voting in Utah
Vote Early
Become a July and August Voter!
Voting by Mail 📬
Voting by mail is the most popular option, with 90 percent of ballots cast by mail in 2018, according to the lieutenant governor’s director of elections. Utah has “all-mail elections,” meaning that every registered voter receives a ballot in the mail. Voters have the choice of casting that ballot by mail, placing the ballot in a drop box, or going to a polling location in person. Drop box and polling locations are available by entering your address in the “How and where can I vote?” section of vote.utah.gov.
🗳 You don’t need a stamp to mail your ballot, the Postal Service will still deliver your ballot to your county clerk’s office.
⭐️ Your ballot must be mailed in and postmarked by the U.S. Postal Office by August 9, or dropped off at a dropbox before 8:00 pm on Election Day, August 10, 2021. Find drop box locations near you.
⚠️ What if your signature on your ballot envelope doesn’t match?
Your county election officials will compare the signature on your ballot envelope with the signature on your previous ballots and your voter registration form. If your signature does not match, your county clerk will notify you. You will be given an opportunity to submit an affidavit called a “cure letter” that allows you to affirm that your signature is correct. Once your county election official receives your affidavit, the ballot will be counted.
Absentee Voting 🧳
Absentee voting is most often used by deployed military members, students studying abroad, and those serving LDS missions. However, anyone who is registered to vote in Utah may vote by absentee ballot. Absentee ballots can be requested online. Your absentee voting application must be received by your county clerk’s office no later than 5:00 pm 11 calendar days before the election.
Early Voting 🗓
Early voting allows Utah residents to cast ballots in person prior to an election. The early voting period runs from Monday, August 2, 2021, to Friday, August 6, 2021, but dates and hours may vary based on where you live. Voters can find their polling location, with the date and times polls will be open, at vote.utah.gov.
Election-day Voting 🗳
Primary Election Day is August 10, 2021. Election-day voting requires one form of currently valid photo ID or two forms of currently valid non-photo ID that establish the voter’s name and residence within the voting district. Voters can find their polling location with the times polls will be open, at vote.utah.gov.
Party Affiliation
This is selected as part of the voter registration process. Voters wishing to change their party affiliation must reregister.
Party affiliation is not required to vote in Utah. In fact, 37 percent of Utah voters are unaffiliated. (In comparison, 46 percent are registered as Republican and 13 percent as Democratic, with the remaining 4 percent divided among the Independent American, Libertarian, Constitution, Green, and United Utah parties.)
Voter ID requirements
At the polls, voters are required to present one form of currently valid identification containing their name and photograph, such as a driver’s license, passport, tribal ID card, or other type of ID listed at voteinfo.utah.gov.
Voters without a current photo ID may vote if they provide two documents containing their name and showing that they live in the voting precinct, such as a bank statement, paycheck, certified birth certificate, or other type of ID listed at voteinfo.utah.gov.
How to Track Your Ballot
Track your ballot to make sure it is received and guarantee your vote is counted. You can track your ballot here votesearch.utah.gov.
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