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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill Saturday that changes the state's municipal primary and general elections this fall to accommodate a special election to fill the seat of resigning Rep. Chris Stewart.
The change shifts the original primary and general election dates from Aug. 15 and Nov. 7, to Sept. 5 for the primary and Nov. 21 for the general election. The adjusted election schedules comes after Stewart announced that he would be resigning from his congressional seat, citing his wife's health issues.
The resignation triggered the need for a special election and the adjusted schedule to fill Stewart's District 2 seat as quickly as possible. Cox and lawmakers decided to move the election dates forward to allow the special election to take place at the same time.
"This new schedule makes sure Utahns will be represented in Congress with minimal disruption to our election system," said Cox in a news release. "We thank our municipalities and county clerks for adjusting to these changes and we encourage all eligible Utahns to register to vote and participate in our elections this year."
"We care deeply about Utahns in the 2nd Congressional District, and they deserve a voice in Congress," added Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, Utah's chief election officer. "This timeline is our best option, balancing urgency with election security and accuracy. I'm confident in both our process and people."
The changes will affect voters statewide, but particularly voters within the 2nd Congressional District. Only registered voters in the district are able to vote in the special election and the deadline to register with an affiliated party has passed. Active Utah votes will receive a mail-in ballot 21 days before each election.
