If you’re a Utah resident who has found themselves living outside the state for college, work, or another reason during the 2026 midterm elections, you’ve likely got a few questions. Thanks to Utah’s vote-by-mail system, however, participating in this year’s elections isn’t as complicated as it might sound.
If you’re registered to vote in Utah (why not double check using our handy registration tool?), here’s how you can make sure your voice is heard.
How do I get my ballot?
Utah’s county clerk offices automatically mail ballots out to the state’s registered voters using the address you used to complete your voter registration. If you’re in Utah on Election Day (Nov. 3), you can either vote by mail as usual or take your ballot to the nearest dropbox.
If you’re out of state, however, you’ll need to submit an alternate address request via your county clerk’s website. (Ballots cannot be forwarded to another address via the post office.) This will let the county clerk know to send your ballot to the alternate address instead of the primary address on your voter registration.
The deadline for submitting an alternate address request is 11 days before election day (Oct. 23). But we’ve all experienced mail delays at one point or another, so make sure to submit your request as early as possible.
Once you’ve received your ballot, make sure to read the instructions thoroughly, mark your selections and follow the return instructions included with the ballot. All ballots must be received by the county clerks by 8 p.m. Mountain Time on Election Day to be counted, so don’t wait until Nov. 3 to mail your ballot.
Utah also has a ballot tracker that will let you follow the progress of your ballot.
Can I register to vote with my out-of-state mailing address?
If you register to vote with an out-of-state address as your primary address, you will not be able to vote in the Utah elections. Voter registration is tied to the voter’s primary residence, and the assumption is that the address you use when you register to vote is your primary address. So, if you are a Utah resident going to school across the country at NYU and you register to vote using your college dorm address, you’ll be eligible to vote in New York’s midterms, not Utah’s.
Of course, if you’re from Utah but primarily live out of state, you might consider yourself more invested in the local elections around you. In this case, setting your non-Utah address as your primary address would make sense.
The best way for those living outside of Utah to vote in our local elections is to complete an alternate address request before Oct. 23 and mail your ballot with enough time to ensure it arrives at the county clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3
What if I’m living outside the country during the election?
Under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), US citizens living out of the country, including active-duty military members and qualifying spouses/dependents, may be eligible to vote absentee. If that’s you, you can request an absentee ballot, which you can do using our voter registration tool or by visiting vote.utah.org.
Utah uses the Enhanced Voting platform, which is a highly secure online voting platform that allows eligible voters (such as voters outside the country) to vote electronically in certain circumstances.
If you have specific questions about out-of-state voting that haven’t been answered here, check out your county clerk’s website or reach out to them directly.
