20A-6-301. Manual ballots -- Regular general election.

906 words·~4 min read·/ut/title-20a/chapter-6/20a-6-301

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Effective 5/6/2026

(1)Each election officer shall ensure that:

(a)all manual ballots furnished for use at the regular general election contain:

(i)no captions or other endorsements except as provided in this section;

(ii)no symbols, markings, or other descriptions of a political party or group, except for a registered political party that has chosen to nominate its candidates in accordance with Section 20A-9-403 ; and

(iii)no indication that a candidate for elective office has been nominated by, or has been endorsed by, or is in any way affiliated with a political party or group, unless the candidate has been nominated by a registered political party in accordance with Subsection 20A-9-202(4) or Subsection 20A-9-403(4) ;

(b)at the top of the ballot, the following endorsements are printed in 18-point bold type:

(i)"Official Ballot for ____ County, Utah";

(ii)the date of the election;

(iii)before January 1, 2027, the words "certified by the Clerk of __________ County" or, as applicable, the name of a combined office that includes the duties of a county clerk; and

(iv)beginning on January 1, 2027, "Certified by" followed by the title of the election officer, without the election officer's name;

(c)unaffiliated candidates, candidates not affiliated with a registered political party, and all other candidates for elective office who were not nominated by a registered political party in accordance with Subsection 20A-9-202(4) or Subsection 20A-9-403(4) , are listed with the other candidates for the same office in accordance with Sections 20A-6-109 and 20A-6-110 , without a party name or title;

(d)each ticket containing the lists of candidates, including the party name and device, are separated by heavy parallel lines;

(e)the offices to be filled are plainly printed immediately above the names of the candidates for those offices;

(f)the names of candidates are printed in capital letters, not less than one-eighth nor more than one-fourth of an inch high in heavy-faced type not smaller than 10 point, between lines or rules three-eighths of an inch apart; and

(g)on a ticket for a race in which a voter is authorized to cast a write-in vote and in which a write-in candidate is qualified under Section 20A-9-601 :

(i)the ballot includes a space for a write-in candidate immediately following the last candidate listed on that ticket; or

(ii)for the offices of president and vice president and governor and lieutenant governor, the ballot includes two spaces for write-in candidates immediately following the last candidates on that ticket, one placed above the other, to enable the entry of two valid write-in candidates.

(2)An election officer shall ensure that:

(a)each individual nominated by any registered political party under Subsection 20A-9-202(4) or Subsection 20A-9-403(4) , and no other individual, is placed on the ballot:

(i)under the registered political party's name, if any; or

(ii)under the title of the registered political party as designated by them in their certificates of nomination or petition, or, if none is designated, then under some suitable title;

(b)the names of all unaffiliated candidates that qualify as required in Chapter 9, Part 5, Candidates not Affiliated with a Party , are placed on the ballot;

(c)the names of the candidates for president and vice president are used on the ballot instead of the names of the presidential electors; and

(d)the ballots contain no other names.

(3)When the ballot contains a nonpartisan section, the election officer shall ensure that:

(a)the designation of the office to be filled in the election and the number of candidates to be elected are printed in type not smaller than eight point;

(b)the words designating the office are printed flush with the left-hand margin;

(c)the words, "Vote for one" or "Vote for up to _____ (the number of candidates for which the voter may vote)" extend to the extreme right of the column;

(d)the nonpartisan candidates are grouped according to the office for which they are candidates;

(e)the names in each group are placed in accordance with Sections 20A-6-109 and 20A-6-110 , with the surnames last; and

(f)each group is preceded by the designation of the office for which the candidates seek election, and the words, "Vote for one" or "Vote for up to _____ (the number of candidates for which the voter may vote)," according to the number to be elected.

(4)Each election officer shall ensure that:

(a)proposed amendments to the Utah Constitution are listed on the ballot in accordance with Section 20A-6-107 ;

(b)ballot propositions submitted to the voters are listed on the ballot in accordance with Section 20A-6-107 ;

(c)bond propositions that have qualified for the ballot are listed on the ballot under the title assigned to each bond proposition under Section 11-14-206 ; and

(d)the judicial retention section of the ballot includes a statement at the beginning directing voters to the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission's website in accordance with Subsection 20A-12-201(4) .

(5)Beginning on January 1, 2027:

(a)an election officer's or county clerk's name may not appear on the return envelope for a ballot; and

(b)except to the extent required to list an election officer's or county clerk's name as a candidate on the ballot, a ballot may not include the name of the election officer or county clerk.

Amended by Chapter 329 , 2026 General Session