This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
While by-mail ballots have been in the hands of Utah voters for about a week, the option of in-person early voting begins Tuesday in advance of the Aug. 15 primary.
"Early voting is for someone who may need the amenities of the electronic voting machines. If they have a visual impairment, it has an audio ballot," said Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen.
"It is also for someone who may have misplaced their ballot, or moved and didn't get a ballot by mail. And it can accommodate someone who just prefers to vote in person," she said.
Voters may also drop off their by-mail ballots at the early voting centers, or at the drive-through drop boxes that some counties provide. A list of early voting centers statewide is available online at vote.utah.gov, or on the websites of county clerks.
Swensen notes voters may cast ballots at any voting center within their county of residence, not just at the one nearest to them. "The hours are staggered. Some are open in the evening with extended hours, and some are just 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We've tried to make it convenient for everyone."
Most early voting continues through Aug. 11, the Friday before the election. But because of a new law passed by the Legislature, some early voting centers for the first time ever will also be open on Aug. 14, the day before the election.
Swensen notes that people may still register online to vote through Aug. 8. "We'll hurry and get them a ballot by mail if they register online," she said.
Swensen urges people to vote early or use by-mail ballots to avoid the sorts of long Election Day lines that occurred last November — when some lines stretched up to four hours.
"I think it was because people hadn't made their mind up until Election Day, and then they all came to the vote centers," Swensen said.
Through Monday afternoon, Swensen said Salt Lake County has received back 23,596 ballots out of the 354,167 it has mailed.
The hottest race in the state is the Republican primary in the special election to replace former U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, involving Provo Mayor John Curtis, former state Rep. Chris Herrod and investment adviser Tanner Ainge.
However, scores of cities and towns are also holding primaries statewide in mayoral and city council races. In Salt Lake County, mayoral races with primaries are occurring in Draper, Herriman, Midvale, Murray, Sandy, South Jordan, South Salt Lake, Taylorsville, West Jordan and West Valley City.