Voters in the Park City mayoral primary election will not need to head to the polls to cast a ballot.

The primary, scheduled on Aug. 15, will be conducted with mail-in ballots rather than with polling places. The Summit County Clerk’s Office will administer the primary on behalf of City Hall.

Ballots and return envelopes will be mailed to all of the registered voters inside Park City on July 25. They must be returned to the County Courthouse postmarked on or before Aug. 14. The ballots can also be left in a drop box that will be at the Marsac Building with a deadline of 8 p.m. on Aug. 15.

Once someone marks a ballot, they will put it into the envelope, sign the envelope and seal it before mailing it to the county clerk or putting it in a drop box. Summit County Clerk Kent Jones said his office will verify the signature prior to opening the envelope. The tabs with the signature are removed prior to the opening of the ballot to protect the identity of the voter.

There will be no polling places on the day of the primary. If someone does not receive a ballot in the mail or they make a mistake and can produce the mistaken ballot, they can cast their vote on a touchscreen machine. The machine will then print a ballot with the choices of the voter. The ballot must be sealed and put in a drop box. Touchscreen machines will be available at the Marsac Building for Park City voters on Aug. 15. Hours have not been finalized.

Jones said the mail-in ballots could increase voter turnout in Park City in the primary election, when the mayoral primary is the only decision that voters in the city will make.

“One thing on the ballot generally reflects lower turnout,” Jones said, predicting numbers will increase as a result of the mail-in system. “The convenience. They won’t have to go anywhere on Election Day.”

The deadline for people wanting to register to vote by mailing in registration forms is July 17 if they want to cast a ballot in the primary election. Someone may register to vote until Aug. 8, though, if they do so in person at the County Courthouse or online.

There will be no early voting period since the primary will be conducted with mail-in ballots.

Jones anticipates preliminary results will be available the night of the primary. Final results will not be ready until a canvass is conducted that includes the mailed-in ballots that carry the correct postmark but were not received by the time the numbers were tallied the night of the primary.

There are three candidates competing in the mayoral primary in Park City – Summit County Councilor Roger Armstrong, Park City Councilor Andy Beerman and former Mayor Dana Williams. The top two vote-getters will advance to Election Day in November.

There are also four City Council candidates seeking one of two seats on the ballot. The field is not large enough to force a primary in the City Council campaign.

The county clerk will also administer mail-in primaries in Oakley, Kamas and Coalville with the same deadlines as those in Park City. Touchscreen machines will be available in the city halls of Oakley, Kamas and Coalville on Aug. 15 with hours to be determined.

For more information, contact the county clerk at 615-3204.