Utah County sent "ID Required" cards to 71 voters who did not need them ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election. County Clerk Aaron Davidson stated that the inserts went out to 6,144 voters total, including over 6,000 first-time voters who legitimately required the reminder.
The error resulted in returning voters whose identities were already on file receiving cards that instructed them to include a photocopy of an ID with their mail-in ballot. According to KSL, an unknown number of first-time voters whose identities had already been verified through the state's driver's license database also received the notice incorrectly.
The Utah County Elections Division issued a public statement taking responsibility for the mix-up, stating the notice was sent to voters who did not need to provide identification and apologizing for the unnecessary confusion.
Shelly Jackson, a deputy director of elections at the state level, told KSL that the county may have been overzealous by marking all first-time voters as needing to prove their identity.
Davidson advised that voters who believe they received the card in error can ignore it, as the clerk's office will verify their identification on file. If any information is missing, the office will reach out directly. First-time voters who have not yet satisfied the ID requirement should follow the instructions on the insert.
This incident follows a similar event in 2025 when Davidson's office sent notices instructing voters to include specific digits from their driver's license or Social Security number, a provision of a newer Utah voter ID law that has not yet taken effect.
A September state election audit also flagged concerns regarding Davidson's office, including a lack of a formal system to review election requirements and untrained volunteers conducting a post-election audit. Davidson lost the Republican primary in June and is not on the Nov. 3 ballot, though he remains in office.
Voters with questions can call 801-851-8683 or visit vote.utah.gov to track their ballot.
