American Fork City is scheduled to put primary election ballots in the mail for all registered voters today, July 25. We may see ballots in our mailboxes tomorrow.

If you think you might want to vote, don’t throw it away! This is how we vote in this election.

If you’re registered and you don’t get your ballot this week, I’d send up a flare early next week (see below). Also note that it’s not to late too register and get a ballot, even if you missed the initial mailing.

How to Use the Ballot

Here’s how it works, according to the official City website:

After you fill out your ballot, place it in the envelope and sign the affidavit on the envelope. Once that’s done, you have options:

• • Mail it back to the City. You don’t need a stamp; the City pays return postage. Important: If you mail your ballot, it must be postmarked no later than August 14, the day before Election Day. (For the general election, it’s November 6.)
  • Deliver your ballot to the City Recorder’s office (51 E. Main) during business hours, on or before Election Day.
  • Deliver your ballot to the Utah County Elections Office (100 E Center, Suite 3100, Provo) during regular business hours, on or before Election Day.
  • Deliver your ballot on Election Day, August 15, between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., to the Vote Service Center that will be set up at the American Fork Library (64 S 100 E). (November 7 for the general election.) If you have to vote at the service center on Election Day (instead of bringing in your ballot), it will be a provisional vote — meaning that your eligibility will be evaluated after you vote, but before your vote is counted.

An 1840s ballot box in Nauvoo, Illinois. This is not that.

Other Dates and Deadlines

The voter registration deadline for online or in-person registrations for the primary election is August 8. For the general election, it’s October 23.

Primary election results won’t be final until August 29 at the official canvass, but that’s not unusual. We’ll hear tentative results on August 15.

American Fork voters who are registered Republicans (this no longer includes me) will receive a ballot which looks approximately like this and includes the Republican congressional primary candidates. For the rest of us, here’s a sample ballot with City races only.

For my part, I’m not a big fan of the mail-in ballot. Not yet, anyway. I like the civic ritual of going to the polls. But it’s a cheaper way to run an election, so that’s good.

For more information (and eventually some analysis and endorsements) of American Fork candidates, read more here at afelection.info.