Elections: General and Special

Utah Code tit. 20A, ch. 20A-1, pt. 20A-1-P2

in effect

Utah Code § 20A-1-201 Date and purpose of regular general elections.

20A-1-201. Date and purpose of regular general elections. (1) A regular general election shall be held throughout the state on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year. (2) At the regular general election, the voters shall: (a) choose persons to serve the terms established by law for the following offices: (i) electors of President and Vice President of the United States; (ii) United States Senators; (iii) Representatives to the United States Congress; (iv) governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state treasurer, and state auditor; (v) senators and representatives to the Utah Legislature; (vi) county officers; (vii) State School Board members; (viii) local school board members; (ix) except as provided in Subsection (3), special district officers, as applicable; and (x) any elected judicial officers; and (b) approve or reject: (i) any proposed amendments to the Utah Constitution that have qualified for the ballot under procedures established in the Utah Code; (ii) any proposed initiatives or referenda that have qualified for the ballot under procedures established in the Utah Code; and (iii) any other ballot propositions submitted to the voters that are authorized by the Utah Code. (3) This section: (a) applies to a special service district for which the county legislative body or the municipal legislative body, as applicable, has delegated authority for the special service district to an administrative control board; and (b) does not apply to a special service district for which the county legislative body or the municipal legislative body, as applicable, has not delegated authority for the special service district to an administrative control board. Amended by Chapter 15, 2023 General Session

Utah Code § 20A-1-201.5 Primary election dates.

20A-1-201.5. Primary election dates. (1) The regular primary election shall be held throughout the state on the fourth Tuesday of June of each even numbered year as provided in Section 20A-9-403, 20A-9-407, or 20A-9-408, as applicable, to nominate persons for national, state, school board, and county offices. (2) A municipal primary election shall be held, if necessary, on the second Tuesday following the first Monday in August before the regular municipal election to nominate persons for: (a) municipal offices; or (b) local school board office for a new school district or a reorganized new school district under Section 53G-3-302. (3) A presidential primary election shall be held throughout the state on the first Tuesday in March in the year in which a presidential election will be held. Amended by Chapter 3, 2024 Special Session 3

Utah Code § 20A-1-202 Date and purpose of municipal general election.

20A-1-202. Date and purpose of municipal general election. (1) Except as provided in Section 20A-1-206, a municipal general election shall be held in municipalities, and special districts as applicable, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd-numbered year. (2) At the municipal general election, the voters shall: (a) (i) choose persons to serve as municipal officers; (ii) for a special district that holds an election during an odd-numbered year, choose persons to serve as special district officers; and (iii) choose persons to serve as local school board members for a new school district or a reorganized new school district under Section 53G-3-302; and (b) approve or reject: (i) any proposed initiatives or referenda that have qualified for the ballot as provided by law; and (ii) any other ballot propositions submitted to the voters that are authorized by the Utah Code. Amended by Chapter 3, 2024 Special Session 3

Utah Code § 20A-1-203 Calling and purpose of special elections -- Two-thirds vote limitations.

20A-1-203. Calling and purpose of special elections -- Two-thirds vote limitations. (1) Statewide and local special elections may be held for any purpose authorized by law. (2) (a) Statewide special elections shall be conducted using the procedure for regular general elections. (b) Except as otherwise provided in this title, local special elections shall be conducted using the procedures for regular municipal elections. (3) The governor may call a statewide special election by issuing an executive order that designates: (a) the date for the statewide special election; and (b) the purpose for the statewide special election. (4) The Legislature may call a statewide special election by passing a joint or concurrent resolution that designates: (a) the date for the statewide special election; and (b) the purpose for the statewide special election. (5) (a) The legislative body of a local political subdivision may call a local special election only for: (i) a vote on a bond or debt issue; (ii) a vote on a voted local levy authorized by Section 53F-8-402 or 53F-8-301; (iii) an initiative authorized by Chapter 7, Part 5, Local Initiatives - Procedures; (iv) a referendum authorized by Chapter 7, Part 6, Local Referenda - Procedures; (v) if required or authorized by federal law, a vote to determine whether Utah's legal boundaries should be changed; (vi) a vote authorized or required by Title 59, Chapter 12, Sales and Use Tax Act; (vii) a vote on a municipality providing a broadband service, a cable television service, or a public telecommunications service under Section 10-18-204; (viii) a vote to create a new county under Section 17-61-401; (ix) a vote on a special property tax under Section 53F-8-402; or (x) a vote on the incorporation of a municipality in accordance with Section 10-2a-210. (b) The legislative body of a local political subdivision may call a local special election by adopting an ordinance or resolution that designates: (i) the date for the local special election as authorized by Section 20A-1-204; and (ii) the purpose for the local special election. (c) A local political subdivision may not call a local special election unless the ordinance or resolution calling a local special election under Subsection (5)(b) is adopted by a two-thirds majority of all members of the legislative body, if the local special election is for: (i) a vote on a bond or debt issue as described in Subsection (5)(a)(i); (ii) a vote on a voted leeway or levy program as described in Subsection (5)(a)(ii); or (iii) a vote authorized or required for a sales tax issue as described in Subsection (5)(a)(vi). Amended by Chapter 16, 2025 Special Session 1

Utah Code § 20A-1-204 Date of special election -- Legal effect.

20A-1-204. Date of special election -- Legal effect. (1) (a) Except as provided by Subsection (1)(d), the governor, Legislature, or the legislative body of a local political subdivision calling a statewide special election or local special election under Section 20A-1-203 shall schedule the special election to be held on: (i) in an even-numbered year: (A) the fourth Tuesday in June; or (B) the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November; or (ii) in an odd-numbered year: (A) the second Tuesday after the first Monday in August; or (B) the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. (b) Except as provided in Subsection (1)(c), the governor, Legislature, or the legislative body of a local political subdivision calling a statewide special election or local special election under Section 20A-1-203 may not schedule a special election to be held on any other date. (c) (i) Notwithstanding the requirements of Subsection (1)(b) or (1)(d), the legislative body of a local political subdivision may call a local special election on a date other than those specified in this section if the legislative body: (A) determines and declares that there is a disaster, as defined in Section 53-2a-102, requiring that a special election be held on a date other than the ones authorized in statute; (B) identifies specifically the nature of the disaster, as defined in Section 53-2a-102, and the reasons for holding the special election on that other date; and (C) votes unanimously to hold the special election on that other date. (ii) The legislative body of a local political subdivision may not hold a local special election on the same date as the presidential primary election conducted under Chapter 9, Part 8, Presidential Primary Election. (d) The legislative body of a local political subdivision may only call a special election for a ballot proposition related to a bond, debt, leeway, levy, or tax on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. (e) Nothing in this section prohibits: (i) the governor or Legislature from submitting a matter to the voters at the regular general election if authorized by law; or (ii) a local government from submitting a matter to the voters at the regular municipal election if authorized by law. (2) (a) Two or more entities shall comply with Subsection (2)(b) if those entities hold a special election within a county on the same day as: (i) another special election; (ii) a regular general election; or (iii) a municipal general election. (b) Entities described in Subsection (2)(a) shall, to the extent practicable, coordinate: (i) polling places; (ii) ballots; (iii) election officials; and (iv) other administrative and procedural matters connected with the election. Amended by Chapter 170, 2022 General Session

Utah Code § 20A-1-206 Cancellation of local election or local race -- Municipalities -- Special districts -- Notice.

20A-1-206. Cancellation of local election or local race -- Municipalities -- Special districts -- Notice. (1) As used in this section: (a) "Contested race" means a race in a general election where the number of candidates, including any eligible write-in candidates, exceeds the number of offices to be filled in the race. (b) "Election" means an event, run by an election officer, that includes one or more races for public office or one or more ballot propositions. (c) (i) "Race" means a contest between candidates to obtain the number of votes necessary to take a particular public office. (ii) "Race," as the term relates to a contest for an at-large position, includes all open positions for the same at-large office. (iii) "Race," as the term relates to a contest for a municipal council position that is not an at-large position, includes only the contest to represent a particular district on the council. (2) A municipal legislative body may cancel a local election if: (a) the ballot for the local election will not include any contested races or ballot propositions; and (b) during the period described in Subsection 20A-5a-310(1), the municipal legislative body passes a resolution that cancels the election and certifies that: (i) the ballot for the election would not include any contested races or ballot propositions; and (ii) the candidates who qualified for the ballot are considered elected. (3) If a municipal legislative body cancels a local election under Subsection (2), the candidate for each office in an uncontested race that would otherwise be on the ballot for that election is elected to the office to which the race relates. (4) A municipal legislative body that cancels a local election in accordance with Subsection (2) shall give notice that the election is cancelled in accordance with Section 20A-5a-310. (5) A special district board may cancel a local election if: (a) the ballot for the local election will not include any contested races or ballot propositions; and (b) during the period described in Subsection 20A-5a-311(1), the special district board passes a resolution that cancels the election and certifies that: (i) the ballot for the election would not include any contested races or ballot propositions; and (ii) the candidates who qualified for the ballot are considered elected. (6) If a special district board cancels a special district race under Subsection (5), the candidate for each office in an uncontested race that would otherwise be on the ballot for that election is elected to the office to which the race relates. (7) A special district that cancels a local election in accordance with Subsection (5) shall give notice that the election is cancelled in accordance with Section 20A-5a-311. Amended by Chapter 329, 2026 General Session

Source: Utah Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel (le.utah.gov)URL: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title20A/Chapter1/20A-1-P2.html?v=C20A-1-P2_1800010118000101Fetched: 10/26/2026