How Utah’s Election System Works

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Each party follows this basic process for the caucus/convention method:

Step 1: Precinct Caucus

A caucus is simply a meeting. In this case you (yes, you) meet with your neighbors of the same party. Here, your neighborhood (or precinct) chooses you (and some of your neighbors) to be state and county delegates who will represent your precinct.

Step 2: Convention

County Convention: Party county delegates gather once a year at their party’s convention. On even-numbered years, they elect primary candidates for state House and Senate seats and for county positions. On odd-numbered years, delegates meet to conduct county party business.

State Convention: Party state delegates gather once a year at their party’s convention. On even-numbered years, they elect primary candidates for federal office (Congress and Senate) seats and statewide officials (e.g., governor). On odd-numbered years, they meet to conduct state party business.

Step 3: Party Primaries

At the primary election, each party holds its own primary, where all party members go to elect the party nominee for all open seats (county, state and federal positions).

Step 4: General Elections

Here all registered voters elect their representatives from among all party nominees. The winner of this race is declared the elected official.

… And there you have it. In Utah, we elect delegates who select the candidates that we can then vote on. Or candidates can bypass the caucus/convention method by gathering enough signatures to be placed on the primary ballot.

Dig Deeper:

Article: Why are delegates important in Utah’s political process?

Article: How to become a delegate

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