Ballots mailed as voters face new election requirements: What you need to know

SALT LAKE CITY — Ballots are being mailed to active registered voters across many parts of Utah starting Tuesday, marking the beginning of the midterm election season. Elections officials have a few changes they want voters to be aware of as they cast their ballots.

Voters can no longer rely on a postmark if they mail their ballot on Election Day. Instead, ballots must be received by county clerks no later than 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 to be counted.

Another change requires vote-by-mail voters to pencil in the last four digits of their Utah state identification card, driver's license or Social Security number when returning their ballot. The requirement doesn't apply to in-person voting.

By-mail ballots can still be verified through signature matching if the four-digit identifier is missing, but that option will only be available until 2029, when the new 2025 law requires full adoption of a valid ID number.

"We're requiring additional safety and security features when it comes to verifying voters are who they say they are, especially when we're doing our by-mail process, which we know works well," said Salt Lake County Clerk Lannie Chapman.

Chapman said county clerks can start mailing ballots 21 days before the election.

According to Chapman, 90% of Salt Lake County voters who participate in an election do so by using their mail ballot. In Salt Lake County alone, approximately 600,000 ballots are being mailed out. Early voting at some locations starts on Oct. 20.

Chapman is encouraging voters to keep an eye on their mailboxes and contact their county clerk if they have not received a ballot by Friday. She also urged voters to take advantage of the various options available to return their ballots, including mail, drop boxes and in-person voting locations.

"You have a superpower, and your superpower is your voice," Chapman said. "You have many different ways to cast your ballot."

The county has seen an increase in voters using ballot drop boxes, according to Chapman.

During the June primary election, about 60 Salt Lake County ballots arrived after Election Day and were not counted under the state's new ballot receipt deadline, a figure Chapman said represented less than 1% of 103,419 ballots cast.

Voters can track the status of their ballot through the state's election website, vote.utah.gov, Regular General Election: November 3, 2026 - Utah Voter Information or by visiting their local county clerk's website.

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