KPCW, January 3, 2024--Now is the time to file to run for office in Summit County or change your voter registration--the cutoff dates are months earlier than in previous years.
The filing period opened Tuesday, Jan. 2, and runs until 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8.
Summit County Clerk Eve Furse says it’s the new normal to file for elections during the first week of the year. Candidates previously filed in March, but that changed in last year’s general session of the Utah Legislature.
“I think it's sort of a preference on behalf of the legislature to get that out of the way before the legislative session starts, so they know if they are going to have an opponent or not,” she said.
Summit County residents have numerous positions to elect.
Summit County Council, county officials
On the county council, three of five seats are up: A, B and C. Would-be councilmembers need to choose which specific seat they want when they file to run.
Summit County voters will also elect an assessor, recorder, treasurer and sheriff.
Frank Smith was appointed interim sheriff when Justin Martinez became Utah’s U.S. Marshal, but state statute says the position will be on the next ballot. Smith has filed to run in 2024 for the partial term expiring in 2026.
Park City, North Summit and South Summit school boards
Seats 1, 2 and 3 are up for elections in the all three school boards. South Summit will also elect someone to seat 5 for a partial term after a board member stepped down last year.
Unlike the county council’s at-large seats, school board races are districted. That means school board candidates don’t choose a seat; they’re running for the one representing their local area.
School board races are also nonpartisan, so there will only be a primary if the number of candidates is more than double the number of open seats.
Will there be primaries?
For the partisan races, party delegates choose one candidate for the general election at their convention. If the margin at the convention is narrow enough, there will be a primary.
Alternatively, candidates can collect signatures to trigger a primary vote.
Summit County’s Democratic and Republican convention dates haven’t been announced. Primaries would be June 25.
Utah Republican primaries are closed. Anyone may vote in the Democratic primaries, but unaffiliated or Republican voters must request a ballot and can’t vote in more than one party’s primary.
Voters can ask for a Democratic primary ballot until the primary election at vote.utah.gov or in person at the polls.
The last day to change your political affiliation before the 2024 primary election is Jan. 9, the day after all candidates must file to run.
“People can look on basically the night of Jan. 8, morning of Jan. 9, to see if they think there's going to be a primary for races that they might want to vote on in June,” Furse said.
Click here to see all candidates who have filed for 2024 so far.
Or visit vote.utah.gov. That’s also where people can register, view and update voter registration.
The general election is Nov. 5.