What you need to know about Tuesday’s election in Utah

Haven’t mailed in your ballot yet? Not sure who to vote for? Wondering where results will be posted?

That’s OK. Here’s what you need to know ahead of Tuesday’s election in Utah.

What’s at stake?

The state’s hottest race is the special election to fill Utah’s vacant congressional seat.

The three top candidates are Provo Mayor John Curtis, the Republican contender, who had a big lead in the latest poll, Democrat Kathie Allen and the new United Utah Party’s Jim Bennett.

They’ll be joined on the ballot by Libertarian Joe Buchman, Independent American candidate Jason Christensen and Sean Whalen, who is unaffiliated. There are also two approved write-ins: Russell Roesler and Brendan Phillips.

The race to replace former Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who stepped down early and took a job with Fox News, has been dominated by discussion of President Donald Trump.

Curtis has maintained that he supports the Trump agenda on economics, taxes and defense, and that he ignores the president’s “distractions.” Allen, a longtime physician, and Bennett, son of the late three-term Sen. Bob Bennett, have not been shy in criticizing the president and his policies, particularly on immigration.

It’s a likely prelude to the midterm contests to come in 2018.

What other elections are on the radar?

Utah has 444 mayoral and city council races statewide — plus 19 ballot propositions and bond issues, said Mark Thomas, state elections director.

Six of those bonds are related to schools. And Blanding, a small town in San Juan County, will vote on whether to remain a “dry” city or to allow alcohol sales.

Across the state, at least three elections have the potential to make history.

With a victory by either front-runner Michelle Kaufusi or her opponent, former city Councilwoman Sherrie Hall Everett, Provo will elect the first female mayor in its 157-year history.

In southern Utah, Hildale could get its first mayor and council members who aren’t affiliated with the polygamous church. Donia Jessop, who was nominated at an unofficial convention attended mostly by people who don’t follow FLDS President Warren Jeffs, is running against incumbent Mayor Philip Barlow.

And in Midvale, candidate Sophia Hawes-Tingey could be the state’s first transgender mayor. She finished second in the primary, five points behind former Councilman Robert Hale.

Of the 15 mayoral races in Salt Lake County, nine incumbents are up for re-election, although two are unopposed: Bluffdale Mayor Derk Timothy and Holladay Mayor Robert Dahle.

Meanwhile, incumbent mayors in Cottonwood Heights, South Jordan, Midvale and Herriman have stepped aside, guaranteeing new leadership in those cities.

Though Salt Lake City’s mayoral seat is not currently up for election, residents in District 1, 3, 5 and 7 will have the chance to vote for city council representation. One of those races is particularly close: the District 3 battle between campaign veteran Phil Carroll and millennial Chris Wharton. Carroll trailed just one point behind Wharton’s nearly 33 percent of the vote in the August primary.

Two Salt Lake County incumbents — Draper Mayor Troy Walker and Taylorsville Mayor Larry Johnson — could both be in trouble after finishing second in the primary.

Walker, who was criticized earlier this year for an aborted attempt to bring a homeless resource center to the city, faces a close challenge from Councilwoman Michele Weeks. And Johnson fell 13 points behind Taylorsville Councilwoman Kristie Overson.

Heading into the general election, incumbent South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood has a hefty 33-point lead against challenger Mark Kindred, a city councilman.

But in West Jordan, incumbent Mayor Kim Rolfe had slightly more than a two-point lead in the primary ahead of Jim Riding, who has worked for the city for more than 14 years. Residents there will also a chance to decide whether to change the city’s form of government from a council-manager form to a strong mayor.

Murray voters will face an interesting choice between interim Mayor D. Blair Camp — appointed this year after the death of Mayor Ted Eyre — and former Mayor Dan Snarr. Camp, a former city fire chief and former city council member, finished second in the primary behind Snarr, who served for four terms and is perhaps best known for his large waxed mustache.

In West Valley City voters will decide on a repeat race between two candidates who faced each other four years ago: incumbent Mayor Ron Bigelow, a former state legislator and state budget director, and Karen Lang, a city council member who owns a local greenhouse. Bigelow won 39 percent of the primary vote to Lang’s 31 percent.

How to vote?

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For a list of voting sites or other questions, see vote.utah.gov.

For the cities and counties conducting elections by mail, ballots must be postmarked by Monday. But voters can still drop them off Tuesday at polling centers or specially marked drop boxes.

Residents who have misplaced their ballots can file provisionally in-person. Be aware, though, that with a slow initial return on mail-in ballots Salt Lake and Utah counties may see long lines on Election Day.

The Salt Lake County clerk’s office distributed more than 446,000 ballots, and Utah County more than 200,000.

When will the results be posted?

Results from the congressional race and municipal contests from across the state will be available online at electionresults.utah.gov or on county websites, as well as updated on The Salt Lake Tribune website, sltrib.com. Those will be refreshed throughout the night after 8 p.m.

Final results may not be conclusive Tuesday as mail-in ballots continue to trickle in during the rest of the week.

The state elections office will certify the canvass for the 3rd Congressional District on Nov. 28 although there is talk of a quick swearing-in of the winner if the results are lopsided.