Utah Sees High Voter Turnout and Low Fraud with Vote-by-Mail

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A new analysis of Utah's voting data over the past three decades shows that the state's adoption of vote-by-mail has led to a significant increase in voter participation, with midterm election turnout jumping 30% after most counties implemented the system between 2014 and 2018. Despite concerns about election security, Utah's experience with vote-by-mail has been remarkably clean, with only one documented case of voter fraud in modern history.

Why it matters

Utah's successful transition to vote-by-mail provides a model for other states looking to increase voter participation while maintaining election integrity. The data challenges common narratives about the risks of expanded mail-in voting and demonstrates that it can be implemented effectively.

The details

The analysis found that Utah's voter participation was notably low in 1996 and 2008, at 66% and 68% respectively. However, in 2020 turnout reached 90%, and in 2024 it was 85%. This transformation began when individual Utah counties started experimenting with vote-by-mail, with the real impact appearing in midterm elections. For example, in 2010 midterm turnout was only 52%, but by 2018, with vote-by-mail standard in most counties, that number jumped to 76%. The only major documented case of voter fraud in modern Utah history occurred in tiny Daggett County, with no other cases listed by the Conservative Heritage Foundation dating back to 1982.

• Utah counties began adopting vote-by-mail between 2014 and 2018.
• Voter turnout in Utah midterm elections jumped from 52% in 2010 to 76% in 2018 after the widespread adoption of vote-by-mail.
• Utah County implemented vote-by-mail prior to the 2022 midterm elections, bringing its turnout in line with other major Utah counties.