Missed some early voting deadlines? Utah voters still have options to participate in primaries

It’s too late to register to receive a ballot in the mail. But there are still plenty of opportunities to cast a vote ahead of the June 23 primary election, especially for those who would like to vote on Democratic contests. 

The last day to register to receive a by-mail ballot was Friday. However, some counties are still able to send in by-mail ballots if voters act quickly. Salt Lake County, for example, is allowed to send ballots until Tuesday at 5 p.m., according to a social media post. Though at this point, according to the Utah elections office, voters should contact their county clerks directly. 

Voters who missed that deadline aren’t out of luck to vote early, Shelly Jackson, deputy elections director for the state said. 

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“Anyone can go and register or affiliate at an early voting site or vote in person on (primary) election day, and each county is required to have a minimum of at least four days of early voting,” Jackson said. “Many counties are offering more than that, and so it’s really on a county-by-county basis, the hours, the dates, and the location.”

Voters can look up early voting dates and polling places in their area at votesearch.utah.gov.

With changes in state code, all ballots, including ones sent by mail, must be received by county clerks by 8 p.m. on election night to count. There isn’t a specific postmark requirement to stamp and send ballots like in the past, but voters who are cutting it close to getting their vote in by election night can use a drop box to ensure their ballot makes the deadline.

Apart from those early voting options, there will also be same-day voter registration available in person on primary day at polling locations. 

The state’s elections website, vote.utah.gov, is a good tool to find drop boxes, track the status of ballots, and to learn more about candidates and issues that are being measured this year. Utah News Dispatch has also made a voter guide available, answering frequently asked questions on voting, listing important dates, and expanding on congressional primary races. 

So, do you want to vote in the CD1 primary?

Political parties in the state run their primaries. Some of them, including Utah’s Republican Party, choose to hold closed primaries, where only voters registered with their party are allowed to participate. Voters affiliated with a political party can no longer change their party registration for this election, but must wait until after June 23. The deadline to update party affiliations was April 1, though unaffiliated voters looking to cast a ballot in a Republican race can register with the party in person at a polling site. 

Voter Guide: 2026 Primary Election

Because of Utah’s political makeup, most races in the state are likely to be decided during the primary elections, with voters favoring Republican candidates for a majority of partisan offices. This year, however, has a wild card on the Democratic ballot after a yearslong court battle yielded a new, blue-leaning district centered on heavily populated Salt Lake County.

Now, the race for the Democratic nomination to Utah’s 1st Congressional District has turned into one of the hottest contests this cycle. And, party affiliation isn’t necessary to participate. The Utah Democratic Party has open primaries, which means registered voters living within the 1st Congressional District boundaries are allowed to participate in it regardless of their party.

Voters who miss the mail-in ballot request deadline can still vote in person at an early voting location, or on primary day for open primaries. Salt Lake County’s early voting started on June 9 at the county’s government center.

First preliminary results are expected to be posted on primary election night after 8 p.m. when voting ends. And, Jackson said, voters are allowed to watch clerks at work.

“Not a lot of people know this, but all of your county clerks, these processes of processing, counting, verifying the ballots, it’s all open to the public, and so each county clerk has to list on their website the dates and times that they’ll be processing ballots, and it’s available to go and watch,” Jackson said. 

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