Who May Vote?

In Utah to register and vote you must meet the following criteria: 

1. Be a citizen of the United States
2. Be a resident of Utah at least 30 days before the next election
3. Be at least 18 years old by Election Day

Not too long ago only white, male, property owners could vote in America.  Go to the History of Voting Rights section to learn how voting laws changed over the last 225 years.

Voter Registration

Registration is the process by which a person's name is added to the list of qualified voters. On election day, officials check each person's name against the list before they let the person vote. According to the League of Women Voters of Utah web site, Utahns can register to vote in the following ways:

• Get a mail-in registration form at a post office, library or bank, (or from the phone book), fill it out and mail it to your County Clerk's Office.  Here is a list of the County Clerk Offices in Utah. 
• Go to the County Clerk Office and register in person.
• Register at a satellite site (city hall, library, or high school).
• Download the form from the web: http://www.fec.gov/votregis/vr.shtml
  (Scroll to the bottom and choose Utah.)

The election office will notify you when your application has been approved and will tell you where to go on election day to cast your ballot! In Utah you must register 20 days before the general election.

Voting Districts

In the United States, each county, township, or ward of a state is divided into voting districts called precincts. Citizens may vote only at the polling place in the precinct in which they live. It is easy for Utah registered voters to find the address of their polling place.  Go to: http://govdata.state.ut.us/pollsrch.htm, choose your county from the pop-up menu, type in your first name, last name and birth date. 

Absentee Voting

Every U.S. state allows absentee voting for citizens who cannot go to their polling places. Citizens who wish to vote by absentee ballot must request an absentee ballot by calling, writing or visiting your County Clerk Office. Qualified absentee voters receive a ballot, envelope, and instructions. They must mark their ballots in the presence of a notary public (licensed witness) and return them before election day.

Casting  Your Vote

Citizens vote by secret ballot so that they can vote without fear of how others will react. Where you live in Utah determines how you cast your vote.  Citizens in Emery and San Juan counties fill in the oval next to the party or candidate of their choice.  These votes are counted with an optical scanner.  Voters in Daggett, Piute, Rich, and Wayne counties mark an "X" in the square next to the names of the candidates for whom they want to vote. Citizens who live in a county not mentioned above must slide the ballot card into the ballot holder and place the punch pin next to each of their choices on the ballot.  To see photographs of each of these voting procedures, use the links above.

Voter Turnout

Unfortunately, many qualified voters in the United States rarely, or never, vote. Only 36.4% of all qualified voters voted in the 1998 federal elections. This low percentage is partially due to the fact that it was not a presidential election.  The percentage rose to 49.1% in 1996 - which was a presidential election year.  In 1960 the United States' voter turnout rate peaked at 63.1%.  (Source: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0764586.html) Here is more voter turnout data:

• Voter Registration and Turnout in Federal Elections by Age (1972-1996)
• Voter Registration and Turnout in Federal Elections by Gender (1972-1996)
• Voter Registration and Turnout in Federal Elections by Race/Ethnicity (1972-1996)

Which age group has the lowest voter turnout in 1996? Why do you think this is so? Did more men or more women vote in the 1996 elections?  Why do you think so many Americans staying home on election day? Is it a complicated registration process? Apathy and indifference? There are many theories about why so many Americans don’t vote. According to a national study done by the League of Women Voters, a major reason is because people  "don't see that voting directly effects their everyday lives."   Do you have ideas on how to solve this problem?