Ballot: means the storage medium, including a paper, mechanical, or electronic storage medium, that records an individual voter's vote. See Utah Code 20A-1-102
Election: means a regular general election, a municipal general election, a statewide special election, a local special election, a regular primary election, a municipal primary election, and a special district election. See Utah Code 20A-1-102
Position: means a square, circle, rectangle, or other geometric shape on a ballot in which the voter marks the voter's choice. See Utah Code 20A-1-102
Regular general election: means the election held throughout the state on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year for the purposes established in Section 20A-1-201. See Utah Code 20A-1-102
State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes a state, district, or territory of the United States. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
Vacancy: means :
(a)
except as provided in Subsection (75)(b), the absence of an individual to serve in a position created by state constitution or state statute, whether that absence occurs because of death, disability, disqualification, resignation, or other cause ; or
(b)
in relation to a candidate for a position created by state constitution or state statute, the removal of a candidate due to the candidate's death, resignation, or disqualification. See Utah Code 20A-1-102
(a)
“Filing deadline” means the final date for filing:
(i)
a declaration of candidacy as provided in Section 20A-9-202; and
(ii)
a certificate of nomination as provided in Section 20A-9-503.
(b)
“Party liaison” means the political party officer designated to serve as a liaison with the lieutenant governor on all matters relating to the political party’s relationship with the state as required by Section 20A-8-401.
(2)
When a vacancy occurs for any reason in the office of representative in the Legislature, the governor shall fill the vacancy by immediately appointing the person whose name was submitted by the party liaison of the same political party as the prior representative.
(3)
(a)
Except as provided by Subsection (5), when a vacancy occurs for any reason in the office of senator in the Legislature, it shall be filled for the unexpired term at the next regular general election.
(b)
The governor shall fill the vacancy until the next regular general election by immediately appointing the person whose name was submitted by the party liaison of the same political party as the prior senator.
(4)
(a)
If a vacancy described in Subsection (3)(a) occurs after the filing deadline but before August 31 of an even-numbered year in which the term of office does not expire, the lieutenant governor shall:
(i)
establish a date and time, which is before the date for a candidate to be certified for the ballot under Section 20A-9-701 and no later than 21 days after the day on which the vacancy occurred, by which a person intending to obtain a position on the ballot for the vacant office shall file:
(A)
a declaration of candidacy; or
(B)
a certificate of nomination; and
(ii)
give notice of the vacancy and the date and time described in Subsection (4)(a)(i):
(A)
on the lieutenant governor’s website; and
(B)
to each registered political party.
(b)
A person intending to obtain a position on the ballot for the vacant office shall:
If a vacancy described in Subsection (3)(a) occurs after the deadline described in Subsection 20A-9-202(1)(b) and before August 31, of an even-numbered year in which the term of office does not expire, a party liaison from each registered political party may submit a name of a person described in Subsection (4)(b) to the lieutenant governor before 5 p.m. no later than August 30 for placement on the regular general election ballot.
(5)
If a vacancy described in Subsection (3)(a) occurs on or after August 31 of an even-numbered year in which a term does not expire, the governor shall fill the vacancy for the unexpired term by immediately appointing the person whose name was submitted by the party liaison of the same political party as the prior senator.
