Thousands of Utah voters receive limited ballots as officials work to verify citizenship

Salt Lake City — Thousands of Utah voters have received ballots containing only congressional races under a new citizenship verification law, but election officials say that number is shrinking as they work to confirm the citizenship of longtime registered voters.

Utah Director of Elections Ryan Cowley told KSL News today that approximately 4,300 voters remained in the federal-only category as of Thursday.

"We expect that number to drop by about 600 more today," Cowley said, citing updated information from federal and state government records.

That would bring the number of voters still awaiting verification to approximately 3,700, though Cowley emphasized the updated figures were still being processed.

The changes come as Utah implements HB209, a law passed earlier this year requiring documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for participation in state and local races.

Under the law, voters whose citizenship has not been verified can receive ballots containing federal races only.

However, election officials emphasize that receiving a federal-only ballot does not mean someone has been identified as a noncitizen.

Why longtime Utah voters are affected

Cowley said many of those affected are longtime voters who registered decades ago, before Utah required certain identifying information on voter registration forms.

"A lot of times we have what we call legacy voters," Cowley said. "And these are voters who registered a long time ago. They voted sometimes 20 or more times."

He explained that many older registration records lack the driver's license or Social Security numbers that officials now use to help verify citizenship.

"They weren't required to provide a driver's license or a Social Security number," Cowley said. "And so a lot of them have just voted and never had to confirm that information."

As a result, some eligible voters who have participated in numerous elections may still need additional documentation to receive ballots containing state and local races.

Cowley said his office has been working with county clerks to contact affected voters through letters and emails while also checking available government databases.

The state recently established a partnership with Utah's Office of Vital Records, allowing election officials to confirm the citizenship of approximately 500 additional voters born in Utah.

"And that's been a great partnership as we're trying to make every effort we can to make sure we don't disenfranchise any voters in this process," Cowley said.

Officials have also been reviewing information from the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, database.

Cowley said the verification efforts are ongoing, with additional voters expected to be cleared as records are reviewed.

Salt Lake County credits early outreach

Salt Lake County Clerk Lannie Chapman told KSL News that fewer than 1,000 voters in her county received federal-only ballots.

That's a comparatively small share of Utah's roughly 4,300 affected voters, considering Salt Lake County accounts for approximately one-third of the state's registered voters.

Chapman credits her office's proactive outreach efforts for helping reduce the number of residents whose citizenship remained unverified.

"As soon as this law passed, we did a deep dive to ensure that all eligible voters are receiving the ballot that they are eligible to vote," Chapman said.

Her office sent notices to residents whose registration records lacked identifying information needed to complete the verification process.

Chapman stressed that these cases generally did not involve voters who had provided identification numbers that failed verification.

"Almost entirely, this group of voters registered to vote before the state of Utah voter registration forms required voters to provide us with their Social Security number or Utah ID, Utah driver's license number," she said.

Chapman said many residents responded to the county's outreach, allowing officials to confirm their citizenship. However, some voters have yet to respond or provide the necessary information.

What happens if your ballot is missing races?

Election officials say voters who receive ballots containing only congressional races may still be able to obtain full ballots by verifying their citizenship.

"The first thing I would do is call your county clerk," Chapman said. "So, if you're in Salt Lake County, give my office a call. I have a team waiting and ready to help you."

Cowley said voters who have not yet returned their federal-only ballots can contact their county clerks, provide the necessary documentation and request replacement ballots.

"But if they haven't mailed it back, they can reach out to their clerk," Cowley said. "And the clerk can spoil that ballot and then issue them a full ballot if they're able to confirm their citizenship."

For voters who have already mailed back their federal-only ballots, Cowley said replacing those ballots to add state and local races may no longer be possible. Those voters should contact their county clerk to determine whether any options remain.

Important deadlines before Election Day

The deadline to complete regular voter registration is Oct. 23, at 5 p.m.

Cowley said voters who need citizenship verification should complete that process by Oct. 23 to allow county clerks time to issue replacement mail ballots.

But missing that deadline doesn't necessarily mean voters lose the opportunity to participate in state and local races.

"If you don't make that deadline, you can still go in person," Cowley said. "You would need to vote provisionally and take that documented proof of citizenship with you."

Acceptable documentation may include a qualifying Utah driver's license or state identification number, a U.S. passport, birth certificate, or naturalization documents.

Under state law, voters who cast provisional ballots can still provide the required citizenship documentation before the applicable post-election deadline for their state and local votes to be counted.

Election Day is Nov. 3.

Chapman also reminded voters about another change to Utah's election rules: Mail ballots must now be received by county clerks by 8 p.m. on Election Day, rather than simply being postmarked by that date.

She encouraged voters using the Postal Service to mail their ballots early to avoid delays.

Salt Lake County will have 41 voting centers available on Election Day, along with eight early-voting locations.

What voters should do now

Election officials encourage Utahns to check their ballots before returning them.

Cowley said anyone who receives a ballot containing more than congressional races generally has nothing additional to do regarding citizenship verification.

Those whose ballots contain only federal races should contact their county clerk to determine what documentation is needed to receive a full ballot.

Voters who have not received an expected ballot should also contact their county clerk to check their registration status.

Salt Lake County residents can find information about citizenship verification, voting locations and accepted documents at slco.vote.

Additional election resources, registration information and ballot status tools are available statewide at vote.utah.gov.

With Election Day approaching, officials say they are continuing to review records and contact affected voters.

Cowley said the state expects the number of voters requiring additional verification to continue declining as that work progresses.

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