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Vote by Mail

Elections in Salt Lake County are conducted mainly by mail. Ballots are mailed to active, registered voters 21 days prior to an election, according to Utah State law.

The post office does not forward ballots. If you need your ballot mailed to an address other than the address where you are registered to vote, contact the Salt Lake County Election Office.

To receive a mail-in ballot you must be registered to vote no later than eleven days before an election.

Mail in ballots may be returned in one of these three ways:

Links

Voter Registration FAQs

Option 1: Return by Mail

Return it by mail in the postage-paid return envelope provided in your ballot packet.

To be valid, your ballot must be postmarked no later than the day before Election Day.

Option 2: Deposit in a Ballot Drop Box

Deposit it in a ballot drop-box (open 24/7) in Salt Lake County. Drop boxes are open until 8 PM on Election Day.

Find a Ballot Drop Box Location

Option 3: Drop-off on Election Day

Drop it off at any Election Day Vote Center between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM on Election Day.

  • Vote Centers are open from 7:00 am - 8:00 pm.
  • Voters who are eligible to vote in the election may vote at ANY Vote Center listed below on Election Day.
  • Valid Identification is required.
  • Voters may drop off their vote-by-mail ballot at a Vote Center during polling hours - no need to wait in line!

Valid Forms of Identification

Find an Election Day Voting Center

Vote by Mail FAQ’s

You need to be a registered voter in Salt Lake County in order to receive a ballot. All registered voters are sent ballots and prepaid return envelopes for Vote by Mail Elections.

Your application must be received in the Clerk's Office no later than the Tuesday prior to Election Day.

If you have moved within Salt Lake County, call our office during business hours to update your address. You may also update your address by completing an online voter registration or downloading a mail-in voter registration form – both are available on our website.

Ballots must be mailed to a registered voter's residential or mailing address. We cannot mail ballots to anyone other than the voter.

Ballots are mailed 21 days before an election. Ballots cannot and will not be forwarded by the post office.

If you have not received your ballot within 7 days after they are mailed, call our office. Your voter registration will be checked to ensure that the information is correct. If the address is correct, a replacement ballot will be sent. If your information has changed, your registration will need to be updated and a new ballot will be sent.

If you received a vote-by-mail ballot, you are still allowed to vote in person as long as you have not returned your by-mail ballot. Your vote history is recorded in the database and will be checked by poll worker before you will be allowed to vote on the electronic voting machine.

Use a black or blue ballpoint pen. Completely fill in the oval.

  • Follow directions carefully.
  • Read the entire ballot before filling it out.
  • Sign the voter affidavit on the back of the return envelope.
  • Lost or damaged ballots can be replaced by contacting the Election Office.

If you make a mistake marking your ballot, cross through the incorrect oval and name. Fill in the correct oval; circle both the oval and the name of the correct choice. Make your intent clear. Remember, do not sign or initial your ballot.

The signature on that affidavit confirms your identity as the voter who voted the ballot. We compare the signature on the affidavit to the signatures in your voter record.

You may update your signature by completing an online voter registration form or a mail-in form that are both available on our website. If you do not have internet access, registration forms are found at post offices, and in our office.

Note: If there is an issue with your signature on your returned ballot envelope matching the one on file in your record, we will mail you a notice (cure letter) so you can resolve it and have your ballot counted.

If you are not sure whether you signed your affidavit, sign the outside of the envelope.

If you already mailed your unsigned ballot, we will mail you a notice (cure letter) so you can resolve it and have your ballot counted.

Cross off the wrong signature and sign the correct affidavit. If the envelope has already been sealed, and the affidavit was not signed by the other voter, you may sign the outside of the envelope.

No one else can sign your ballot affidavit for you. If you are unable to sign, please contact our office. If the signature you provided with your voter registration is a mark, you need only to make that mark for your ballot to count.

Individuals with power of attorney cannot sign the ballot affidavit for the voter.

Salt Lake County citizens who are either temporarily or permanently overseas and all active military personnel, including their spouses and dependents, are eligible to vote by absentee ballot under The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens and Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and Utah law.

You can find an application to vote by visiting the Federal Voting Assistance Program website or downloading the PDF linked below. Complete, sign and submit the application to our office by mail, fax or email.

Military and overseas ballots are sent 45 days prior to an election. We will continue to send by-mail ballots until the Thursday before the election and by-email ballots until the day before the election at 5 P.M.

Note: Military and overseas voters may receive their ballot via email.

For a ballot to be counted, it must be postmarked no later than the day before Election Day. All eligible ballots must arrive at the Election Division by 5pm on the last day of the Canvass Period. See our Dates and Deadlines page for exact dates for the upcoming election.

Ranked choice voting (RCV) is a type of ranked preferential voting where voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots. The Utah State Legislature made RCV possible for municipal elections in Utah with the passing of HB 35, the Municipal Alternative Voting Methods Pilot Project. To learn more about how RCV works, please visit our Ranked Choice Voting information page.