• Use the On My Ballot link to verify you're regsitered to vote, learn about candidates and propositions, and to generate a customized Voter Information Pamphlet.
  
• Sign up for a reminder email or text message and find your polling place
  
• Early voting begins in today. Find out where you can cast your ballot before election day.

The Utah State Library for the Blind and Disabled provides the Voter Information Pamphlet in alternate formats, including .mp3 and braille.

To learn more about the U.S. Constitution, see the following links:

• The National Archives' online exhibit, The Charters of Freedom features high resolution images of the original U.S. Constitution.
• The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation. This book is also available to browse at the law library.
• If you're a Utah teacher, see the Constitution Day resources available from the Utah Education Network, which features activities and lesson plans by grade level.
  ]]> http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2012/09/us_constitution_resources.html http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2012/09/us_constitution_resources.html Federal Government Mon, 17 Sep 2012 10:45:46 -0700 Sunday, September 9th is Grandparents Day. 36 U.S.C. §125 states this commemorative day is designated the first Sunday after Labor Day. U.S. President Jimmy Carter declared the first National Grandparents Day in 1978 in a presidential proclamation.

  Grandparents play an important role in their families' lives. According to information from the U.S. Census Bureau, 6.7 million grandparents had grandchildren under 18 living in their household in 2009. According to information from AARP, more than 18,000 grandparents in Utah are responsible for grandchildren living with them.

  If you're a grandparent in Utah, you might be interested in the following resources:

  • The Utah State Courts has information for seniors including grandparents' rights and how to become guardian of a minor.
  • USA.Gov has a topic page for grandparents raising grandchildren, including links to health and safety resources.
  • The Children's Service Society of Utah has a program called Grandfamilies which provides resources, support, education, and crisis intervention for families caring for children of relatives.
    ]]> http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2012/09/grandparents_day_1.html http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2012/09/grandparents_day_1.html Federal Government Thu, 06 Sep 2012 10:37:10 -0700 Saturday, May 19 is Armed Forces Day, a day commemorating members of any U.S. military branch and their service to our country. It was designated by a Presidential Proclamation by U.S. President Harry S. Truman on February 27, 1950.

    Armed Forces Day is also a day designated by federal law (36 U.S.C. §902) for displaying the National League of POW/MIA Families flag at government buildings throughout the nation including the White House, VA medical centers, and at military installations.

    Check your local Utah city or county government website or military base website for Armed Forces Day events near you.

    ]]> http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2012/05/armed_forces_day_1.html http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2012/05/armed_forces_day_1.html Federal Government Fri, 18 May 2012 09:49:48 -0700 This Sunday, March 11th, is Daylight Saving Time. Each spring most Americans turn their clocks forward one hour to observing daylight saving pursuant to 15 U.S. Code §260 et seq.

    For more information about Daylight Saving Time, see the U.S. Naval Observatory's page on Daylight Time, which includes future Daylight Saving dates. In addition, the Daylight Saving Time online exhibit through WebExhibits, an interactive museum, has articles and links to full-text historic documents related to Daylight Savings, including a link to Benjamin Franklin's 1784 essay on Daylight Saving.

    ]]> http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2012/03/daylight_saving.html http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2012/03/daylight_saving.html Federal Government Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:03:17 -0700 The IRS has released a new version of the IRS2Go app for smartphones and other mobile devices. In addition to getting tax updates and checking your refund status, the newest version of the app lets you:
    
    
    • order a tax return transcript,
      
    • watch YouTube videos from the IRS, and
      
    • get the latest IRS news.
    
    You can download IRS2Go from the ITunes App Store or Android Market.
    ]]> http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2012/02/irs2go_20_1.html http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2012/02/irs2go_20_1.html Federal Government Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:39:28 -0700 If you're a Utah resident enrolled in Medicare, you may want to be aware of the early Open Enrollment deadline, which is midnight tonight, December 7th. You can check your current enrollment plan and compare Medicare plans using the Plan Finder.

    If you have questions about Medicare coverage or would like to learn more about health insurance programs that may be available to you, contact one of the agencies who participate in the Utah Medicare Outreach Coalition or visit the health insurance programs page at the Utah Division of Aging and Adult Services' website.

    ]]> http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/12/medicare_open_enrollment_ends.html http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/12/medicare_open_enrollment_ends.html Federal Government Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:35:06 -0700 November is National Family Caregivers Month, and seeks to draw awareness to the needs and challenges of family caregivers who may be assisting adults and/or children with special needs. USA.Gov has a directory of federal resources for family caregivers, including home and community resources for veterans and hospice care locators.

    The state of Utah has a variety of resources for caregivers, including:

    • Ucare, developed by the Utah Department of Human Services
    • The Utah Coalition for Caregiver Support, an advocacy organization for both caregivers and seniors.

    The Utah State Courts website has information about guardianship and conservatorship in Utah. You can complete court forms for a minor guardianship using the Online Court Assistance Program. The courts' YouTube channel has videos about Guardianship of an Adult and Guardianship of a Minor available to watch at any time.

    ]]> http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/11/national_family_caregivers_mon_1.html http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/11/national_family_caregivers_mon_1.html Utah State Government Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:15:11 -0700 Today at noon MST, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will conduct a nationwide test of the emergency alert system. This means that television and radio broadcasts will be interrupted for about 30 seconds with an emergency alert similar to the local emergency alert tests you are used to seeing or hearing. This is the first time the emergency alert test has been conducted nationally and includes all 50 states and territories including American Samoa, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

    In a real emergency, the president has the power through Executive Order 13407 to use this emergency alert system and it can be used "in situations of war, terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other hazards to public safety and well-being..."

    For more information about the emergency alert system test, visit the FAQ section of FEMA's website.

    ]]> http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/11/nationwide_test_of_the_emergen.html http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/11/nationwide_test_of_the_emergen.html Federal Government Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:20:08 -0700 In order to cut down a Christmas tree on national forest land, you must first get a permit and follow the rules set by the Forest Service. You can apply for a permit at a number of Forest Service locations. Find information about applying for permits here. Note that each national forest has its own rules you must follow, from the number of trees you can cut per household, the type of tree you can cut down, and there may be special rules about the height of the tree you can cut.

    Find a Utah Forest Service office by visiting the Forest Service's website.

    ]]> http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/11/cutting_christmas_trees_in_nat.html http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/11/cutting_christmas_trees_in_nat.html Federal Government Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:18:15 -0700 This Sunday, November 6th is Daylight Saving Time. Each fall most Americans turn their clocks back one hour to observing daylight saving pursuant to 15 U.S. Code §260 et seq.

    For more information about the history of Daylight Saving Time, see the U.S. Naval Observatory's page on Daylight Time, which includes future Daylight Saving dates. In addition, the Daylight Saving Time online exhibit through WebExhibits, an interactive museum, has articles and links to full-text historic documents related to Daylight Savings, including a link to Benjamin Franklin's 1784 essay on Daylight Saving.

    ]]> http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/11/daylight_saving_time_1.html http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/11/daylight_saving_time_1.html Federal Government Fri, 04 Nov 2011 09:23:14 -0700 Have you ever visited a government website and thought of ways it could be improved?

    Until September 30, you can contribute your ideas online at the National Dialogue on Improving Federal Websites page. This website is part of the .gov Reform Initiative to help cut costs and improve services to the general public.

    You can comment on any aspect of federal websites, including search features, navigation, privacy and security, or accessibility. In addition to submitting your own ideas, you can also vote to agree or disagree with other users' comments.

    Anyone can comment on improving federal websites, but you have to sign up for an account before you can submit your ideas.

    ]]> http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/09/give_suggestions_on_improving_1.html http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/09/give_suggestions_on_improving_1.html Federal Government Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:00:07 -0700 We are approaching the ten year anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Many federal agencies and educational institutions are observing this event with online memorials and resources, including the following:
    
    • The Federal Bureau of Investigation has an online page called Ten Years After: The FBI Since 9/11. Here, you can watch videos of agents talking about their memories of responding to those events. You can also learn what types of changes the FBI has made since 9/11.
      
    • The National Archives has a guide to 9/11 Commission Records. Some of these records have been digitized, like the Memoranda for the Record, a collection of interview summaries the Commission had with federal employees, citizens, and scholars.
      
    • The Center for History and New Media and American Social History Project/Center for Media and Learning have put together a September 11 Digital Archive. You can browse the site's collection of stories and memories shared by people, including stories recorded by visitors to the Smithsonian's Bearing Witness exhibition and emails sent to the Department of Justice.
    To find out more about resources documenting and memorializing this important day in history, visit USA.Gov's page on 9/11 Commemorations and Information.

    In Utah, volunteer organizations around the state are commemorating 9/11 with a Day of Service and Rememberance. You can find ideas for volunteering and see a list of organizations looking for project volunteers and donations.

    ]]> http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/09/10th_anniversary_of_911_1.html http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/09/10th_anniversary_of_911_1.html Federal Government Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:13:06 -0700 When you buy a new item of clothing, do you tear off the care instruction label, or do you follow its instructions carefully?

    The Federa Trade Commission (FTC) is seeking public comments about its regulations on Care Labeling of Textile Wearing Apparel (16 CFR Part 423).

    Current regulations detail when care label instructions need to be included, such as the criteria for including a water temperature or bleaching warning. The FTC wants public opinion on the benefits, costs, and necessity of these regulations, and welcomes suggestions for modifying these regulations.

    The request for public comments appeared in the July 13, 2011 issue of the Federal Register. Comments will be accepted until September 6, and can be made by mail or using the FTC's online comment form.

    ]]> http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/07/clothing_care_instructions_lov_1.html http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/07/clothing_care_instructions_lov_1.html Federal Government Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:33:10 -0700 Whether you're headed on vacation this summer or staying close to home, you should wear sunscreen when outdoors. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced changes that will be made to sunscreen labeling regulations, effective June 2012. Among the changes:
    • A sunscreen must protect against both UVA and UVB rays in order to call itself "broad spectrum"
      
    • A sunscreen can't claim it's waterproof. At best, it can claim to be water resistant. A sunscreen can state the number of minutes it is water resistant.
      
    • The FDA also proposed a rule limiting the maxiumum SPF claim to 50+.
    
    Current sunscreen regulations can be found in Title 21, Part 352, of the Code of Federal Regulations.
    ]]> http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/07/sunscreen_regulations_1.html http://www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/blog/2011/07/sunscreen_regulations_1.html Federal Government Thu, 07 Jul 2011 08:53:59 -0700