It’s been less than two months since Utahns voted in November’s election — but campaign preparations for the 2018 election are already about to begin. The period for a candidate to declare an intent to gather signatures to get on the primary ballot opens Tuesday.
The filing period remains open through March 15, overlapping and dwarfing the one-week window (March 9-15) for candidates to appear in person to formally declare their candidacy.
The volume of signatures a candidate must accumulate to earn a place on the ballot under Utah law means it may be smart to start sooner rather than later, said Justin Lee, director of elections in the lieutenant governor’s office.