UTAH VOTING GUIDE

Answers to the most commonly asked questions for Election Day on Tuesday, November 8, 2022.

By Mary Ann Urban

Local Politics

WHERE/WHEN TO DROP OFF YOUR BALLOT? WHAT IF YOU’RE NOT REGISTERED TO VOTE?

First off, unless you're mailing your ballot via the Post Office, only use the election ballot drop-off boxes in your county. It makes it easier and faster for each County Clerk's office to count your vote.

Vote.utah.gov has an interactive map of all the election drop-off sites in the entire state. Zoom in and find the box nearest you.

Didn't get your ballot in the mail? Haven't registered to vote? Show up at the Weber County Clerk's office on Monday, Noon to 6 p.m., or go to any polling station on Election Day: Weber County Fairgrounds or the Ogden Valley Branch Library in Huntsville from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. if you are in Weber County. For other counties, visit vote.utah.gov and select How To Vote, then Vote On Election Day. You'll need your ID and at least one form of proof of residency. Visit vote.utah.gov for more information.

Most important! Each polling place is equipped with accommodations for voters with disabilities. Utah's Disability Law Center makes sure of it.

WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES?

You can get informed before you go by entering your address to see your ballot online at vote.utah.gov. Never let it deter you from voting if you haven’t done the research in advance. You can always leave a category blank if you must.

Learn about all of the candidates and the issues at vote.utah.gov, here. For Weber County, weberelections.gov is a great source of information.

WHO ARE ALL THESE JUDGES ON YOUR BALLOT?

In Utah, the Governor appoints judges for an initial three-year term. It's then up to the voters to keep them, or not.

How is the average Utahn supposed to track and tally these public servants to know how to vote?

There exists an independent group of experts, called the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission, to dive deep into the weeds and present a performance evaluation of each judge. Visit judges.utah.gov, search by county, and get informed.

Want to take it a step further? Head to local media outlets, your newspapers, and public radio newsrooms to find out which big cases they decided or even what they might have done before they were appointed to be a judge in the first place.

WHAT IS AMENDMENT A?

It's important to read between the lines on these constitutional amendments. An initial reading of the text of any amendment on any ballot of any year is dry and filled with legalese.

Will this raise your taxes? Will it weaken checks and balances? What's so wrong about the way things are now?

What does this amendment really say?

In a summary provided by Better Utah Institute: The proposed constitutional amendment would increase the amount of money that the Utah State Legislature can spend during emergency special sessions from 1% of the previous year’s budget to 5%. It would also exempt emergency federal funding and any appropriations that decrease total spending for the year from the limit on how much can be spent or cut.

Visit betterutahinstitute.org/ballot-guide/ for more information.

TRACK YOUR BALLOT

Alright! You voted! Hooray!

Now track your ballot on vote.utah.gov. All you need is your name and address.

Check your address and voter information at vote.utah.gov every year.

See you in 2023 for municipal elections–including Ogden's Mayor!