Whether a long-time Utah native or a student from out of state, here are some guidelines on how to register to vote.
In person: Early, in-person voting is available at numerous locations in larger counties, such as city halls and libraries. A list of polling places across the state is available online at vote.utah.gov. Individuals can register in person up to eight days before the general election (by Oct. 27).
Online: Visit voter.utah.gov to register to vote online. To fully utilize the online registration system, a resident’s current Utah address must match the address on their Utah Driver License or Utah State Identification Card. Individuals can register online up to seven days before the general election (by Oct. 28).
Mail: Download and print a Utah Voter Registration Form at vote.utah.gov. Once completed, mail the form to your county clerk’s office.
Students from out of state: Under Utah law, citizens dwelling in Utah are considered residents for voting purposes if their principal home is in Utah and they presently intend to stay in Utah for an indefinite amount of time. Students can establish residency in Utah if they have a present intention to remain at their Utah school address for the time being and they intend to make it their principal home. Any other interpretation of the residency law is unconstitutional.
A student’s voting residency is determined by the same factors as applied to all other voters; voting residency is not gained or lost in Utah solely as a result of being a student. Voting in Utah may be considered a declaration of residency, potentially making residents subject to other laws that govern state residents. More information can be found at brennancenter.org/analysis/student-voting-guide-utah.
Absentee voting: Students from other states who are attending school in Utah can vote in their home state elections through absentee ballot. A helpful website to start the process is longdistancevoter.org, but there are plenty of other resources available.
