What you need to know before Election Day tomorrow in Salt Lake County

SALT LAKE CITY — Voting officials in Salt Lake County are spreading the word about what voters need to know and do before Election Day Tuesday. 

There are a number of local races to be decided in this election. Candidates are vying for positions on city councils, school boards, and in mayor’s offices. 

“We have a mayor’s race in Sandy that has eight candidates,” laughs Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swenson. 

Many of the elections are using ranked-choice voting for the first time. 

Read more: Ranked-choice voting coming to some Utah cities

Swenson stresses the importance of municipal elections. She says those elected officials help plan the development of cities, hire police and firemen, plan for snow removal, and create budgets.

For a mail-in ballot to count, the Salt Lake County Clerk’s office says the completed ballot must be postmarked by Monday. Simply putting that ballot in the mailbox outside your home might not be enough. While the parcel might be taken by your mailman today, it might not get a postmark before the end of the day. A great way to ensure that crucial postmark is to take the ballot to your local post office. Ballots can also be dropped off at more than 20 drop-off boxes across Salt Lake County. 

Voting in-person Tuesday is still an option. There are over 20 voting centers where someone can cast a ballot or simply drop off their mail-in ballot to a poll worker. People who live in Salt Lake County may cast a ballot at any vote center in the county. 

“If you live in Herriman and you work in Salt Lake City, and you want to go to a Salt Lake City vote center, you can do that,” explains Swenson. 

While some voters might have an idea of which candidate is leading in a certain race, official results will not be available until two weeks after Election Day. This fortnight-long canvassing period allows county clerks to clear up any ballot signature issues and tally any ballots coming from Utahns overseas or those serving in the military. 

For more information on what you should know before election day, visit the Salt Lake County voting page. 

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Related:

• Utah Rep. who called for Utah election audit resigns
• Lawmakers want audit of Utah election results, state leaders say no statewide fraud
• Local election leaders tout Ranked Choice Voting ahead of so-called ‘No Primary Day’
• Municipal elections are the most important vote — so cast your ballot Tuesday
• Primary elections take place Tuesday, but many cities picked ranked choice instead