Counties expected to release most results in the first vote update
Utah voters will elect leaders for federal, state and other offices on Tuesday. Polls close at 8 p.m. local time, which is 10 p.m. Eastern, and elections in the state are conducted predominantly by mail, according to the Associated Press.
The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in races for the U.S. House, statewide ballot measures, the state Senate, the state House and the state board of education. Its Decision Team plans to monitor key data points as the votes are tallied.
About 1.1 million votes were cast in the 2022 U.S. Senate race in Utah, the state’s last midterm election, the AP said. The latest advance vote totals for the state can be found in the AP’s advance vote tracker.
Counting is expected to move quickly once polls close. Almost all Utah counties are expected to release most or all of their election results in the first vote update, regardless of vote type, according to the AP.
The 2024 general election offers a benchmark for the pace. The first results were reported starting at 11:33 p.m. ET, about an hour and a half after polls closed, the AP said. The state reached 50% of votes reporting at 12:37 a.m. ET, and 90% of votes reporting at 11:11 a.m. ET on Nov. 12.
The AP does not make projections. The organization will declare a winner only when it determines there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap, according to the AP.
If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the organization will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
Recounts in Utah are automatic only in the event of a tie vote. A losing candidate may request a recount if the vote margin is 0.25% of the total vote or less.
Even in a race subject to a recount, the AP may declare a winner if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.