Voter Registrations in Utah
Utah offers any citizens seeking to register to vote several simple options for getting signed up. Voter registration is an important part of citizenship in Utah that allows residents to contribute their opinions to political matters that affect their county and state. While it is not a legal requirement that anyone obtain a registration card in Utah, doing so can serve as an official form of political representation and formal identification that can positively impact the life and community of the bearer.
Who can register to vote in Utah?
Voter registration in Utah is extended to any citizen who meets established basic criteria set forth by the Utah Secretary of State. You can register to vote in Utah if you meet all of the following requirements:
- Citizen of the United States
- Legal resident of Utah for a minimum of thirty days prior to the next election
- At least 18 years of age by next election day
Utah also offers a unique option for younger citizens of sixteen and seventeen years of age to pre-register to vote using the same form. Persons convicted of a felony offense may register to vote in Utah as soon as the sentence for the offense is completed.
What is the process for voter registration in Utah?
Utah residents wishing to register to vote have three options available to them. Any eligible citizen of Utah can complete voter registration online, by mail or in person. If you wish to make use of the online service, you simply need to have a valid Utah drivers license or state ID card handy before visiting the official voting website sponsored by the Utah Secretary of State.
Registering to vote via this digital method will require you to enter personal information such as your driver’s license or state ID number directly into the computer, and you will submit your registration form entirely electronically. If you do not have a driver’s license or state ID, you must submit the last four digits of your Social Security Number. The voter affidavit and declaration at the bottom of the voter registration application must include your signature in order to be processed.
Your online or walk-in voting registration in Utah must be completed a minimum of seven days before the election you wish to participate in. When utilizing the paper format for mail-in voter registration in Utah, the completed and signed application must be postmarked to your County Clerk’s Office a minimum of thirty days prior to the election you wish to participate in to meet the registration deadline. The County Clerk will mail confirmation of official registration after confirming an applicant’s eligibility.
Where do I vote in Utah if I want to take part in absentee voting?
First, it is important to distinguish whether you want to register to vote via absentee ballot for just the upcoming next election in Utah, or for all time. Either way, you have two options for absentee voter registration in Utah.
You can register as an absentee voter through the standard registration application, or you can do so via the official absentee ballot application form, both available through Utah’s statewide voting website or in printed format at any local County Clerk’s Office. If you want to change your voter registration permanently to absentee status, simply check the “yes“ box in the “permanent absentee” section of the application.
All absentee ballot registration applications should be filed with your election officer by the Tuesday before the next election in order to be considered valid. Once you have successfully completed absentee voter registration, your ballot will be sent to you by mail, to the address you specified, twenty-one days ahead of the next election.
Do I need to change voter registration details in Utah if I am active-duty military?
“Am I registered to vote in Utah if I am currently serving in the military or working overseas?” This is a common query for Utah citizens wondering how to register to vote at home while working or living abroad. Military members, the eligible family members of military personnel and other overseas Utah citizens can submit a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) that serves both as their official Utah voter registration and their recorded request for an absentee ballot.
These FPCA forms are available for electronic or mail-in submission. Ballots for military and overseas Utah citizens are mailed out to absentee applicants no later than forty-five days ahead of the next election and must be received back to the local election officer by the close of the polls on Election Day in order to be processed.
The only exception to this key voting registration rule occurs when the absentee ballot is postmarked no later than 12:01 a.m. on the date of the election from the location wherein the voter marks the ballot. In the event that an overseas Utah voter does not receive his or her absentee ballot in time, a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) can serve as a backup and are also available in digital and print formats.
What is a Utah voter registration card?
Your Utah voter registration card will be sent in the mail to your address on record after you have signed up to vote in your county of residence. Voter registration cards in Utah simply function to remind constituents of their polling places, available representatives and noted political party affiliations.
It is not necessary to have your voting card with you on the day of an election in order to vote, but you will be required to produce two forms of official identification that match the address listed on your voting card. The voter registration card serves as bureaucratic proof that you are a legitimate voter in the county and state in which you reside.
How do I complete a voter registration change of address in Utah?
You can change voter registration address information in Utah via the online registration platform hosted by the website of the Utah Secretary of State. It is important to complete a Utah voter registration change of address as soon as you complete an official residence move because you cannot utilize the online voting platform in Utah if the address reported on your voting information does not match the address listed with the Driver License Division.
You can log directly into the Utah voting registration website and update your address information at any time. It is advisable to then wait a full twenty-four hours before logging back in to vote online. You can still utilize the online voting platform even if your address within it is not current, but you are required in such an instance to print the voter registration form and mail it in with your signature. Other updates that may change voter registration information in Utah, such as a change of name due to a marriage or a change in party affiliation, can also be recorded in this same manner.
How can I replace a lost or stolen voter registration card in Utah?
You can request a duplicate copy of your Utah voter registration card via any of the aforementioned voting application options and with your election official at your local County Clerk’s Office. Utah registration cards are mailed out to your address on record whether they are requested via the online option, by written request in the mail or through a walk-in application. It can take a new card between three and seven weeks to arrive in the mail.