Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Utah

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Note: This article is not intended to serve as an exhaustive guide to running for public office. Individuals should contact their state election agencies for further information.

In order to get on the ballot in Utah, a candidate for president of the United States must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A presidential candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for president of the United States.

  1. An individual can seek the nomination of a political party. Presidential nominees are selected by delegates at national nominating conventions. Individual states conduct caucuses or primary elections to determine which delegates will be sent to the national convention.[1]
  2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent presidential candidates typically must petition in each state in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.[1]
  3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.[1]

The information on this page applies only to presidential candidates. For additional information about ballot access requirements for state and congressional candidates, see Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Utah.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • In Utah, a candidate seeking the nomination of a party must pay a $500 filing fee. An independent candidate must submit a petition containing 1,000 signatures in order to get on the general election ballot. An independent candidate must also pay a $500 filing fee. A write-in candidate must file a declaration of candidacy no later than 65 days before the election.
    • DocumentIcon.jpg See state election laws

    Year-specific filing information

    See also: Important dates in the 2024 presidential race

    2024

    The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Utah in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Utah, click here.

    Presidential primary candidates

    The Utah Republican Party opted to hold a party-run caucus rather than participate in the state-run primary. The filing requirements listed here for Republican candidates reflect those issued by the party.

    Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Utah, 2024
    State Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
    Utah Democratic N/A N/A $500 Fixed 12/1/2023 Source
    Utah Republican N/A N/A $50,000[2] Fixed 12/15/2023 Source

    Independent presidential candidates

    Filing requirements for independent candidates in Utah, 2024
    State Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
    Utah 1,000 Fixed by statute $500.00 Fixed by statute 3/5/2024 Source

    For filing information from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.

    Show more

    2020

    The tables below detail filing requirements for presidential candidates in Utah in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Utah, click here.

    Presidential primary candidates

    Filing requirements for presidential primary candidates in Utah, 2020
    State Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
    Utah Qualified parties N/A N/A $500.00 Fixed 12/2/2019 Source

    Independent presidential candidates

    Filing requirements for independent candidates in Utah, 2020
    State Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
    Utah 1,000 Fixed by statute $500.00 Fixed by statute 8/17/2020 Source

    2016

    The calendar below lists important filing deadlines in Utah for the 2016 presidential election. For information about campaign finance reporting deadlines, see below.

    Legend:      Ballot access     Election date



    Dates and requirements for presidential candidates in 2016
    Deadline Event type Event description
    February 5, 2016 Ballot access Filing deadline for Democratic caucuses
    March 22, 2016 Election date Democratic and Republican caucuses
    August 15, 2016 Ballot access Independent candidate filing deadline
    November 8, 2016 Election date General election

    Qualifications

    Article 2, Section 1, of the United States Constitution sets the following qualifications for the presidency:[3]

    “ No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.[4] ”
    —United States Constitution

    Article 2, Section 4, of the United States Constitution says an individual can be disqualified from the presidency if impeached and convicted:

    “ The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.[4] ”
    —United States Constitution

    The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution says an individual can also be disqualified from the presidency under the following conditions:

    “ No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.[4] ”
    —United States Constitution


    Party nomination processes

    See also: Primary election and Caucus
    Hover over the terms below to display definitions.

    Ballot access laws
    Primary election
    Caucus
    Delegate
    Election Policy Logo.png

    A political party formally nominates its presidential candidate at a national nominating convention. At this convention, state delegates select the party's nominee. Prior to the nominating convention, the states conduct presidential preference primaries or caucuses. Generally speaking, only state-recognized parties—such as the Democratic Party and the Republican Party—conduct primaries and caucuses. These elections measure voter preference for the various candidates and help determine which delegates will be sent to the national nominating convention.[1][5][6]

    The Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, the governing bodies of the nation's two major parties, establish their own guidelines for the presidential nomination process. State-level affiliates of the parties also have some say in determining rules and provisions in their own states. Individuals interested in learning more about the nomination process should contact the political parties themselves for full details.

    In Utah, candidates must pay a $500 filing fee and file a declaration of candidacy with the lieutenant governor between 8:00 a.m. on January 2 in the presidential election year and 5 p.m. on the fourth business day following the start of the filing period.[7][8]

    General election requirements

    The president is elected by the Electoral College, which comprises 538 electors from all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C.

    The president of the United States is elected not by popular vote, but by the Electoral College. The Electoral College comprises a total of 538 electors. Each state is allocated a number of electors equal to the size of its congressional delegation. The Office of the Federal Register administers the Electoral College process:[9][10]

    “ On Election Day, the voters in each State choose the Electors by casting votes for the presidential candidate of their choice. The Electors’ names may or may not appear on the ballot below the name of the candidates running for President, depending on the procedure in each State. The winning candidate in each State—except in Nebraska and Maine, which have proportional distribution of the Electors—is awarded all of the State’s Electors.[4] ”
    —The Office of the Federal Register

    Typically, electors are selected by state parties. Federal law does not require electors to vote "according to the results of the popular vote in their states." Some states and political parties have enacted policies requiring their electors to vote in accordance with the popular vote. According to the Office of the Federal Register, "throughout our history as a nation, more than 99 percent of electors have voted as pledged."[9][10]

    Utah was allocated six electoral votes in the 2024 presidential election, the same number it was allocated in the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential contests.[11]

    Political parties

    In Utah, recognized parties are entitled to have their nominees placed on the general ballot. A party must certify the names of its presidential and vice presidential candidates with the lieutenant governor by August 31 in the year of the election.[12][13][14]

    Independent candidates

    An independent presidential candidate can get on the general election ballot by filing a petition with the lieutenant governor no later than August 15 in the election year. The candidate must also pay a $500 filing fee. The petition must contain the signatures of 1,000 registered voters.[15]

    Running for multiple offices

    Some states prohibit candidates for the presidency from seeking other offices simultaneously. In Utah, "an individual may file a declaration of candidacy for, or be a candidate for, president or vice president of the United States and another office, if the individual resigns the individual's candidacy for the other office after the individual is officially nominated for president or vice president of the United States."[16]

    Sore loser laws

    See also: Sore loser laws for presidential candidates

    Some states bar candidates who sought, but failed, to secure the nomination of a political party from running as independents in the general election. These restrictions are sometimes called sore loser laws. Under Utah state law, an unsuccessful primary candidate cannot run for the same office as an independent candidate in the general election.[17][18][19]

    Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News, has argued that, generally speaking, "sore loser laws have been construed not to apply to presidential primaries." His analysis of state sore loser laws and their applicability in presidential elections can be accessed here.[20]

    Write-in requirements

    A write-in candidate must file a declaration of candidacy with the lieutenant governor no later than 65 days before the general election.[21]

    Historical information

    See also: Historical signature requirements for independent and minor party presidential candidates

    According to Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access News, between 1892 and 2012 there were 401 instances in which a state required an independent or unqualified party candidate to collect more than 5,000 signatures in order to appear on the general election ballot. In Utah, there were no such instances during this period. See Historical signature requirements for independent and minor party presidential candidates for more information.[20]

    Campaign finance requirements

    See also: Campaign finance requirements in Utah

    The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the only agency authorized to regulate the financing of presidential and other federal campaigns (i.e., campaigns for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives). The states cannot impose additional requirements on federal candidates. Federal law requires all presidential candidates to file a statement of candidacy within 15 days of receiving contributions or making expenditures that exceed $5,000. The statement of candidacy is the only federally mandated ballot access requirement for presidential candidates; all other ballot access procedures are mandated at the state level. The candidacy statement authorizes "a principal campaign committee to raise and spend funds" on behalf of the candidate. Within 10 days of filing the candidacy statement, the committee must file a statement of organization with the FEC. In addition, federal law establishes contribution limits for presidential candidates. These limits are detailed in the table below. The uppermost row indicates the recipient type; the leftmost column indicates the donor type.[22][23]

    Federal contribution limits, 2023-2024
    Candidate committees Political action committees State and district party committees National party committees Additional national party committee accounts
    Individual $3,300 per election $5,000 per year $10,000 per year (combined) $41,300 per year $123,900 per account, per year
    Candidate committee $2,000 per election $5,000 per year Unlimited transfers Unlimited transfers N/A
    Multicandidate political action committee $5,000 per election $5,000 per year $5,000 per year (combined) $15,000 per year $45,000 per account, per year
    Other political action committee $3,300 per election $5,000 per year $10,000 per year (combined) $41,300 per year $123,900 per account, per year
    State and district party committee $5,000 per election $5,000 per year Unlimited transfers Unlimited transfers N/A
    National party committee $5,000 per election $5,000 per year Unlimited transfers Unlimited transfers N/A
    Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $3,300 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $3,300 to the same candidate committee for the general election.
    Source: Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed May 8, 2023

    Presidential candidate committees are required to file regular campaign finance reports disclosing "all of their receipts and disbursements" either quarterly or monthly. Committees may choose which filing schedule to follow, but they must notify the FEC in writing and "may change their filing frequency no more than once per calendar year."[24]

    For contribution limits from previous years, click "[Show more]" below.

    Show more
    Federal contribution limits, 2019-2020
    Candidate committees Political action committees State and district party committees National party committees Additional national party committee accounts
    Individual $2,800 per election $5,000 per year $10,000 per year (combined) $33,500 per year $106,500 per account, per year
    Candidate committee $2,000 per election $5,000 per year Unlimited transfers Unlimited transfers N/A
    Multicandidate political action committee $5,000 per election $5,000 per year $5,000 per year (combined) $15,000 per year $45,000 per account, per year
    Other political action committee $2,800 per election $5,000 per year $10,000 per year (combined) $35,500 per year $106,500 per account, per year
    State and district party committee $5,000 per election $5,000 per year Unlimited transfers Unlimited transfers N/A
    National party committee $5,000 per election $5,000 per year Unlimited transfers Unlimited transfers N/A
    Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,800 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,800 to the same candidate committee for the general election.
    Source: Federal Election Commission, "Contribution limits," accessed August 8, 2019
    Federal contribution limits, 2015-2016
    Candidate committees Political action committees State and district party committees National party committees Additional national party committee accounts
    Individual $2,700 per election $5,000 per year $10,000 per year (combined) $33,400 per year $100,200 per account, per year
    Candidate committee $2,000 per election $5,000 per year Unlimited transfers Unlimited transfers N/A
    Multicandidate political action committee $5,000 per election $5,000 per year $5,000 per year (combined) $15,000 per year $45,000 per account, per year
    Other political action committee $2,700 per election $5,000 per year $10,000 per year (combined) $33,400 per year $100,200 per account, per year
    State and district party committee $5,000 per election $5,000 per year Unlimited transfers Unlimited transfers N/A
    National party committee $5,000 per election $5,000 per year Unlimited transfers Unlimited transfers N/A
    Note: Contribution limits apply separately to primary and general elections. For example, an individual could contribute $2,700 to a candidate committee for the primary and another $2,700 to the same candidate committee for the general election.
    Source: Federal Election Commission, "The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law," updated January 2015

    Election agencies

    The Federal Election Commission is the only agency authorized to regulate campaign financing for federal candidates.

    Federal Election Commission

    1050 First Street, NE
    Washington, D.C. 20463
    Telephone: 800-424-9530
    Email: info@fec.gov

    Utah Lieutenant Governor

    350 North State Street
    Suite 220
    P.O. Box 142325
    Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-2325
    Telephone: 801-538-1041
    Email: Contact form

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    See also

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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Vote Smart, "Government 101: United States Presidential Primary," accessed November 29, 2023 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "votesmart" defined multiple times with different content
    2. ↑ Candidates can have their filing fee reduced by $10,000 by filing before November 15, 2023, by conducting a public event and/or fundraiser with the Utah Republican Party. If donors associated with a candidate or a PAC pays the filing fee, the fee is $5,000 higher.
    3. ↑ The Constitution of the United States of America, "Article 2, Section 1," accessed August 3, 2015
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    5. ↑ The Washington Post, "Everything you need to know about how the presidential primary works," May 12, 2015
    6. ↑ FactCheck.org, "Caucus vs. Primary," April 8, 2008
    7. ↑ Utah State Legislature, "20A-9-503," accessed November 29, 2023
    8. ↑ Utah State Legislature, "20A-9-201.5," accessed November 29, 2023
    9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Archives.gov, "What is the Electoral College?" accessed August 25, 2015
    10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Archives.gov, "Who are the Electors?" accessed August 25, 2015
    11. ↑ Archives.gov, "Distribution of Electoral Votes," accessed November 29, 2023
    12. ↑ Utah State Legislature, "20A-8-101. Definitions," accessed November 29, 2023
    13. ↑ Utah State Legislature, "20A-8-103. Petition procedures -- Criminal penalty," accessed November 29, 2023
    14. ↑ Utah State Legislature, "20A-13-301," accessed November 29, 2023
    15. ↑ Utah State Legislature, "20A-9-502. Certificate of nomination -- Contents -- Circulation -- Verification -- Criminal penalty," accessed November 29, 2023
    16. ↑ Utah State Legislature, “20A-9-201.  Declarations of candidacy -- Candidacy for more than one office or of more than one political party prohibited with exceptions -- General filing and form requirements -- Affidavit of impecuniosity,” accessed November 29, 2023
    17. ↑ SSRN, "Sore Loser Laws and Democratic Contestation," accessed November 29, 2023
    18. ↑ Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, "“If You Ain’t First, You’re Last”: How State “Sore-Loser” Laws Make It Impossible For Trump To Run A Successful Third-Party Campaign If He Loses The Republican Primary," accessed November 29, 2023
    19. ↑ Utah Code, "Section 20A-9-501," accessed November 29, 2023
    20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 This information comes from research conducted by Richard Winger, publisher and editor of Ballot Access News.
    21. ↑ Utah State Legislature, "20A-9-601. Qualifying as a write-in candidate," accessed November 29, 2023
    22. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "The FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law," updated January 2015
    23. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Quick Answers to Candidate Questions," accessed August 13, 2015
    24. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2016 Reporting Dates," accessed June 17, 2022
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