Clerk
Clerk
Every eligible adult in Utah can register to vote in the way most convenient to them:
o Online at vote.utah.gov
o By mail, using a paper registration form
o In person, at your county clerk’s office or a Driver License Division office
o On election day at an Election Day Vote Center
There is an enormous number of resources available to help voters make informed choices on their ballot:
o Candidate profiles are available at vote.utah.gov
o Sample ballots can be viewed on your clerk’s website
o Information about judges on the ballot is available through the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission
o Learn more about local ballot issues
Ballots are mailed to all active registered voters who would like to receive one. Voters can research candidates and issues, mark their ballot, and return it all on their own schedule.
Voters may cast their vote in a variety of convenient ways:
o By returning a by-mail through the U.S. Postal Service
o By dropping a by-mail ballot in a secure drop box; all boxes are monitored by cameras 24/7
o By voting early at an Early Vote Center
o By voting at an in-person vote center on Election Day
o For overseas and disabled voters, by submitting a ballot electronically
Voters can sign up to receive notifications when their ballot is mailed to them, when their voted ballot has been received by the clerk’s office, and when that ballot has been counted. Notifications can be enabled by visiting trackmyballot.utah.gov.
All voters have their identity verified by either their Utah Driver License or State ID, or their social security number, before their voter registration is completed. Registration cannot be completed for individuals whose identities cannot be verified.
Every voter must be verified as a citizen of the United States before they are eligible to vote in state, county, and local contests. Voters whose citizenship cannot be verified may vote in federal contests.
The voter list is checked regularly by state and county election staff to ensure only eligible voters will receive and be able to cast a ballot. This includes working with in-state and multi-state agencies to acquire essential data. County Clerks must certify to the Lieutenant Governor’s office that they are performing these checks at least monthly. Election workers review thousands of records to identify and remove:
o Voters with duplicate registrations
o Deceased voters
o Voters who have moved to other counties or left the state
o Non-citizens who may have registered
All voters who vote in person must present current, valid identification to cast a ballot.
By-mail ballots receive several layers of scrutiny before they can be counted:
o Every returned ballot is verified using an ID number that is unique to each voter for each election. This ensures that outside ballots cannot be introduced into an election and that each voter may vote only one ballot.
o Each ballot requires the voter to sign the ballot and provide the last four digits of their Utah Driver License, State ID, or social security number. The signature and four digits are checked against voter records. If the signature and four digits don’t match, the ballot cannot be counted.
Ballots are separated from their envelope and any identifying information before they are counted. This guarantees that all voters’ choices remain secret.
Voting infrastructure and tabulation equipment are air-gapped and completely isolated from the internet to protect against cyber threats. All vote tabulating equipment is stored securely and cannot be remotely accessed.
All voting equipment used in Utah is certified to meet or exceed Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) established by the Election Assistance Commission. Equipment is tested regularly to ensure that both hardware and software remain in compliance.
Vote tabulating machines are tested prior to every election to verify their accuracy and reliability. Tests are conducted using widely accepted best practices for voting system testing. Members of the public are invited to view and participate in these tests.
Once ballots are received by a clerk their status is closely watched. Counts are recorded at each step of the process, and changes in custody are tracked.
Local election officials track counts of ballots closely during an election and conduct regular reconciliations to ensure that the number of ballots received matches the number of ballots counted.
Every county conducts post-election audits to confirm the accuracy of the election results. Randomly selected ballot batches are audited by hand, with results compared to machine counted results.
Election boards review, reconcile, and validate audit records and vote counts during the canvass before certifying final results.
Election workers are required to receive training in the areas they will be working in. Trainings are developed and conducted by experts in the field with years of experience.
Voting allows individuals to participate in the political process and ensures accountability for local, state, and federal leaders. It is a way for us to connect with our communities and foster community strength and civic health.