Voter Registration Safeguards
Voter registration is the gateway through which citizens pass in order to participate in elections. Utah uses a statewide voter registration database that is maintained by the Lt. Governor. Voter rolls are rigorously maintained throughout the year to ensure that the list is accurate and up to date.
Can voters register under fake names, multiple times, on behalf of other people, or register their pets?
During registration, voters must provide a driver’s license or the last four numbers of their social security number. Clerks verify these numbers with the driver’s license database. Voters must have a valid Utah driver’s license in order to register online. The voter registration system searches statewide to identify possible duplicates. This search is performed weekly and before ballots are mailed.
What if voters move without updating their address?
Records are automatically updated when a voter obtains or renews their driver’s license or when they change their driver’s license address. Election offices use the National Change of Address database to identify voters who have moved. They inactivate voters who have not updated their address or who had mail returned as undeliverable. Inactive voters are notified that they must verify or update their address before receiving a ballot. Ballots are mailed only to active voters.
Can voters be assigned to the wrong precinct?
Clerks validate every voter’s address through a mapping service and assign a voting precinct. Entire precincts can be plotted out on a map to identify outliers or voters who are in the wrong precinct.
Can dead people register to vote and cast a ballot?
The Office of Vital Records and Statistics sends counties a weekly update and deceased are removed from the rolls. If a ballot was mailed out before the voter passed away, that ballot is deactivated so that it cannot be voted.
Can ineligible persons or non-citizens register to vote?
County Clerks staff verify the age of each voter at the time of registration. Voters under 18 can pre-register to vote, but they are not mailed a ballot nor allowed to vote until then. Before voters are registered, County Clerks validate the driver’s license number or the last four of the social security number. Voters also sign an affidavit certifying their age and citizenship. There are severe penalties for non-citizens who try to vote or register to vote, including permanent inability to gain citizenship.
New Safeguards
- The Office of the Lieutenant Governor now conducts an annual audit of voter registration records. The results of the registration audit will be reported to the legislature biennially (HB 313).
- The election audit reports for the canvass now include a statement certifying the voter rolls were properly maintained according to the law and county procedures.
Contact
To make an additional suggestion, or if you have more election questions, contact your county clerk. Find my county clerk