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Utah state legislative Republican primaries, 2018

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2018 Utah
State Legislature elections
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GeneralNovember 6, 2018
PrimaryJune 26, 2018
2018 elections
Choose a chamber below:


The Republican primary elections for the seats in the Utah State Senate and the Utah House of Representatives were on June 26, 2018. For information about the Democratic primary elections in Utah, click here.

The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 15, 2018. In the state Senate, 14 of 29 seats were up for election. In the state House, all 75 seats were up for election.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • As of December 2017, Utah was one of 26 Republican trifectas. A state government trifecta is a term used to describe a single-party government where one political party holds the governor's office and a majority in both chambers of the state legislature. To find out more about state government trifectas, click here.

    • Incumbents who did not advance to the general election

    Retiring incumbents

    Five Republican state Senate incumbents did not seek re-election.

    Sixteen Republican state House incumbents did not seek re-election.

    Incumbents defeated

    No incumbents were defeated in 2018.

    Competitiveness

    See also: 2018 primary election competitiveness in state and federal government and Utah state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018

    Twenty-four seats did not have incumbents file for re-election in 2018. This was double the amount of open seats in 2016 (11) and 2014 (12). The number of contested Democratic primaries decreased to 12 from 13 in 2016. The number of contested Republican primaries increased from 36 to 37 compared to 2016.

    Year Total seats Open seats Total candidates Democratic primaries contested Republican primaries contested Total contested Incumbents contested in primaries Total incumbents contested in primaries
    2018 90 24 243 12 37 27.2% 17 25.0%
    2016 90 11 225 13 36 27.2% 23 29.1%
    2014 89 12 202 8 31 21.9% 19 24.7%

    Partisan control

    The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the Utah House of Representatives and Utah State Senate as of June 2018:

    Utah House of Representatives

    Party As of June 2018
         Democratic Party 13
         Republican Party 62
         Vacancies 0
    Total 75

    Utah State Senate

    Party As of June 2018
         Democratic Party 5
         Republican Party 24
         Vacancies 0
    Total 29

    Battleground races

    Ballotpedia identified battleground races in the 2018 Utah state legislative Republican primary elections. These primaries had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to changes in the membership of the Republican caucus or had an impact on general election races.

    To determine the Utah state legislative Republican primary battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia examined races that fit one or more of the three factors listed below:

    1. Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
    2. One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
    3. The primary was known to be competitive based on past results or because it was a rematch of a primary that was competitive in the past.



    Media coverage

    This section provides an overview of media reactions to the Utah state legislative Republican primaries.[1] Selected articles are presented as a jumping-off point for deeper exploration of media coverage and as an overview of narratives that have emerged surrounding the elections.


    Voter information

    How the primary works

    A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Utah, state law allows parties to decide who may vote in their primaries.[2] Check Vote.Utah.gov for details about upcoming elections.

    For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

    Poll times

    Utah is an all-mail voting state that offers vote centers for voters that choose to vote in person. All vote centers are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. Utah voters are able to vote in person at any vote center. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[3]

    Registration requirements

    Check your voter registration status here.

    To register to vote in Utah, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Utah for at least 30 days prior to the election, and at least 18 years old by the next general election. Pre-registration is available for 16- and 17-year-olds. 17-year-olds may vote in primary elections if they will turn 18 by the general election.[4] Registration can be completed online or by mailing in a form. The deadline to register online or by mail is 11 days before Election Day. After this deadline, voters may register in person at a vote center by casting a provisional ballot and providing two forms of identification.[5][4][6]

    Automatic registration

    See also: Automatic voter registration

    Utah does not practice automatic voter registration.[7]

    Online registration

    See also: Online voter registration

    Utah has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

    Same-day registration

    See also: Same-day voter registration

    Utah allows same-day voter registration at polling places during the 10 days preceding and on Election Day.[5][6]

    Residency requirements

    Prospective voters must be residents of the state for at least 30 days before the election.[5]

    Verification of citizenship

    See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

    Utah does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a person who commits fraudulent registration is "guilty of a class A misdemeanor" under Utah Code 20A-2-401.[8]

    All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[9] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

    Verifying your registration

    The Utah lieutenant governor’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

    Voter ID requirements

    Utah requires in-person voters to present non-photo identification while voting.[10]

    The following list of accepted ID was current as of May 2025:

    “

    "Valid voter identification" means:

    • a form of identification that bears the name and photograph of the voter which may include:
      • a currently valid Utah driver license;
      • a currently valid identification card issued under Title 53, Chapter 3, Part 8, Identification Card Act;
      • a currently valid identification card that is issued by:
        • the state; or
        • a branch, department, or agency of the United States;
      • a currently valid Utah permit to carry a concealed weapon;
      • a currently valid United States passport; or
      • a currently valid United States military identification card;
    • one of the following identification cards, regardless of whether the card includes a photograph of the voter:
      • a valid tribal identification card;
      • a Bureau of Indian Affairs card; or
      • a tribal treaty card; or
    • two forms of identification not listed under Subsection (79)(a) or (b) but that bear the name of the voter and provide evidence that the voter resides in the voting precinct, which may include:
      • before January 1, 2029, an original or copy of a current utility bill, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election;
      • before January 1, 2029, an original or copy of a bank or other financial account statement, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election;
      • a certified birth certificate;
      • a valid social security card;
      • an original or copy of a check issued by the state or the federal government, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election;
      • an original or copy of a paycheck from the voter's employer, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election;
      • a currently valid Utah hunting or fishing license;
      • certified naturalization documentation;
      • a currently valid license issued by an authorized agency of the United States;
      • a certified copy of court records showing the voter's adoption or name change;
      • a valid Medicaid card, Medicare card, or Electronic Benefits Transfer Card;
      • a currently valid identification card issued by:
        • a local government within the state;
        • an employer for an employee; or
        • a college, university, technical school, or professional school located within the state; or
      • a current Utah vehicle registration.[10][11]
    		 ”

    Click here for the Utah statute defining accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

    Early voting

    Utah permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

    Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

    Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

    Absentee voting

    Utah conducts what are commonly referred to as all-mail elections. In Utah, voting is conducted primarily, although not necessarily exclusively, by mail. Election officials automatically distribute mail-in ballots to eligible electors.

    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ In selecting articles for inclusion in this section, Ballotpedia has drawn from a variety of sources and viewpoints to identify articles that are representative of broader trends in media coverage.
    2. ↑ Utah State Legislature, "Utah Code § 20A-9-403. Regular primary elections." accessed May 13, 2025
    3. ↑ Utah State Legislature, “Utah Code 20A-1-302. Opening and closing of polls on election day.” accessed May 13, 2025
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Utah State Legislature, “Utah Code 20A-2-101. Eligibility for registration.” accessed May 13, 2025
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Utah Lieutenant Governor, “Welcome to the Utah Voter Registration Website,” accessed May 13, 2025
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Utah State Legislature, “20A-2-207. Registration by provisional ballot.” accessed May 13, 2025
    7. ↑ NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed May 13, 2025
    8. ↑ Utah State Legislature, “Utah Code 20A-2-401. Fraudulent registration -- Penalty.” accessed May 13, 2025
    9. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
    10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Utah State Legislature, "Utah Code 20A-1-102. Definitions." accessed May 13, 2025
    11. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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