2020 Utah Primary Election Guide

2020 Utah Primary Election Guide

Utah will hold a Primary Election on June 30, 2020. Due to COVID-19, this election will be unlike any other in state history.

This election will be conducted almost entirely by mail.

It is crucial that your voter registration is received by your county clerk’s office no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, June 19.

Friday, June 19 at 5pm: Deadline to register to vote, change parties or update your registration. Your registration MUST be received by your county clerk’s office by 5:00 pm on Friday, the best way to ensure this deadline is met is to register online at vote.utah.gov.

• Tuesday, June 30: Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than June 30 – Election Day.
• Tuesday, June 30 at 8pm: Ballot drop boxes close.

Am I eligible to vote on June 30?

You must be:

• A U.S. Citizen;
• A resident of Utah for at least 30 days before the election;
• 18 years old on or before the day of the election.

If you are 16 or 17 years old, you can still pre-register to vote. If you pre-register, you will automatically be registered to vote when you turn 18 years old.

If you are a college or graduate student, you can register at the address that you consider your permanent residence. This may be your home address or your current address at school.

How do I register to vote?

The easiest way to register to vote is registering online at the website voter.utah.gov. A valid Utah driver license or valid Utah ID is required.

You can also register with a paper form, but note that it has to be received by 5pm on June 19 to vote on June 30. Fill out the paper form and mail or email a scanned copy to your county clerk. You can find your county clerk’s contact information at this link.

What identification do I need to register to vote?

If you are registering online, you will need a valid Utah driver license or valid Utah ID is required.

With a paper form, you can register with alternative forms of ID. For more information click here.

When is the deadline to register to vote or update my registration?

The deadline to register to vote, change your party affiliation or changing your mailing address is Friday, June 19.

Your registration MUST be received by your county clerk’s office by 5:00 pm on Friday. This means your ballot must be IN HAND at the county clerk’s office.

To ensure your registration is received on time, register online at vote.utah.gov.

What primary election contests are on the ballot?

There are various Democratic, Republican, and non-partisan primary election contests throughout the state.

These may include elections for offices like your local school board and the Utah State Legislature. Not every office will have a primary, nor will every party have a primary for each office.

The biggest primary elections happening on June 30 will occur in state or federal races. They are:

• Republican Primary for U.S. House District 1  
• Democratic Primary for U.S. House District 1  
• Republican Primary for U.S. House District 4
• Republican Primary for Utah Governor (and Lieutenant Governor)  
• Republican Primary for Attorney General

The winner of each of these races will face the Democrat candidate for each seat in November.

You can view the full list of primary election contests in your area by entering your voter registration address here or downloading the state-wide primary candidate list here.

Note: The Presidential Primary Election was held on March 3, 2020, so you will not vote for presidential candidates in this election. Additionally, other parties—such as the Libertarian Party—do not have any primary elections this year.

What does COVID-19 mean for this election? What changes have been made?

The Primary Election will be conducted primarily by mail to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

• With a few exceptions, you will be required to vote by mail. Unless your county offers drive-up voting on Election Day only, there will not be in person voting and no in person early voting.
• Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than June 30 – Election Day.
• There will be NO regular polling places on Election Day, but your county may offer limited drive-up voting on Election Day, June 30.
• There will be NO Election Day registration (also known as registration by provisional ballot). You MUST register to vote by Friday, June 19. Your registration must be received by your county clerk by 5pm on Friday.
  • If your county offers the drive-up voting locations, unaffiliated voters can change their affiliation to Republican or Democrat at any of the drive-up voting locations on Election Day.
• Drop boxes will be available for depositing mail ballots until 8:00 pm on Election Day.
• If you are a voter with a disability who is not able to vote using a mail ballot, you may obtain information on voting in an accessible manner by visiting your county clerk’s website, by contacting your county clerk, or by reviewing the information included in your mail ballot.
• If you are registered to vote in San Juan County, your county will provide early voting and polling places on Election Day as it has done in the past. Visit the San Juan County Clerk’s website for more information.

I hear a lot of people talking about changing their party affiliation. Why?

To vote in the Republican Primary, you must be a Republican voter. You do not have to be a Democrat to vote in the Democratic primary, but you must request a ballot if you are currently Unaffiliated (or affiliate).

You can either vote in the Republican Primary or Democratic Primary, you cannot vote in both.

With the exception of a few partisan races, like State House 33, most of the primary elections, like Governor, are only a Republican Primary. The winner of the Republican Primary will face Democratic and other candidates in the November election.

You will be able to vote in all non-partisan races in your area, like school boards, regardless of party affiliation.

So, can I change my party affiliation to vote? Is there a deadline?

You can change your party affiliation by submitting a new voter registration form. To ensure you are eligible to vote in a particular party’s election, that voter registration form must be received by your county clerk’s office by 5:00 pm on Friday, June 19, 2020.

You can change your party affiliation by registering at vote.utah.gov.

When will I receive a ballot in the mail?

Your county clerk will mail ballots between June 9, 2020 and June 23, 2020. If you do not receive a ballot shortly after this time, immediately contact your county clerk’s office.

Will I receive a ballot in the mail automatically? Or do I need to take additional steps

It depends.

• Unaffiliated: If there is a primary election for a non-partisan contest, such as a local school board position, in your area, you will receive a ballot for that race.
• Republican: If you are affiliated with the Republican Party, you will automatically receive a Republican Primary ballot.
• Democrat: If you are affiliated with the Democratic Party, you will receive a Democratic Primary ballot IF there is a Democratic Primary OR non-partisan contest in your area.
• You are affiliated with the Democratic Party on your voter registration and there is a Democratic Primary Election in your area.

If you are not affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican parties and would like to vote in either of these primary elections, OR would like to change your affiliation, you will need to update your registration by June 19.

Alternatively, contact your county clerk’s office to obtain a ballot.

Please note that the Republican Party requires you to affiliate with the party to participate in its primary election.

Where is my ballot?

You can track your ballot at vote.utah.gov.

What happens if I receive two different ballots?

You should vote using the ballot you most recently received. This may occur if you changed parties recently to vote in the Primary Election.

Call your county clerk’s office if you have questions.

Do I need a stamp to vote by mail?

Some counties, like Salt Lake County, offer prepaid postage on your ballot envelope, and other counties do not. Your ballot will include instructions that will tell you whether or not you need a stamp.

If your county does not offer prepaid postage and you cannot obtain a stamp, your county may offer drop box locations. To view drop box locations in your county, enter your address at this link. Another option is to place your ballot in the mail without postage, and the Postal Service will still deliver your ballot to your county clerk’s office.

Still have questions?

Visit vote.utah.gov for all things related to Utah elections.