02-05 15:07 H.B. 423
1
Voting Registration Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Trevor Lee
Senate Sponsor:
2
3
LONG TITLE
4
General Description:
5
This bill addresses provisions related to voter registration.
6
Highlighted Provisions:
7
This bill:
8
▸ defines terms;
9
▸ enables an individual to register or preregister to vote when purchasing a hunting or
10
fishing license; and
11
▸ requires a county clerk to provide copies of the voter registration form to Division of
12
Wildlife Resources offices in the county.
13
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
14
None
15
Other Special Clauses:
16
None
17
Utah Code Sections Affected:
18
AMENDS:
19
20A-2-102.5, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 45
20
20A-2-301, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapter 31
21
20A-2-304, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2022, Chapter 156
22
20A-2-506, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 297
23
ENACTS:
24
20A-2-208, Utah Code Annotated 1953
25
26
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
27
Section 1. Section 20A-2-102.5 is amended to read:
28
20A-2-102.5 . Voter registration deadline.
29
(1) Except as otherwise provided in Chapter 16, Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act,
30
an individual who fails to timely submit a correctly completed voter registration form
H.B. 423 H.B. 423 02-05 15:07
31
may not vote in the election.
32
(2) The voter registration deadline is as follows:
33
(a) the voter registration must be received by the county clerk, the municipal clerk, or
34
the lieutenant governor no later than 5 p.m. 11 calendar days before the date of the
35
election, if the individual registers to vote:
36
(i) at the office of the county clerk, in accordance with Section 20A-2-201;
37
(ii) by mail, in accordance with Section 20A-2-202;
38
(iii) via an application for a driver license, in accordance with Section 20A-2-204;
39
(iv) via a public assistance agency or a discretionary voter registration agency, in
40
accordance with Section 20A-2-205;[ or]
41
(v) via electronic registration, in accordance with Section 20A-2-206; or
42
(vi) via purchasing a hunting or fishing license from the Division of Wildlife
43
Resources, in accordance with Section 20A-2-208;
44
(b) before the polls close on the last day of early voting, described in Section 20A-3a-601,
45
if the individual registers by casting a provisional ballot at an early voting location in
46
accordance with Section 20A-2-207; or
47
(c) before polls close on the date of the election, if the individual registers to vote on the
48
date of the election by casting a provisional ballot, in accordance with Section
49
20A-2-207.
50
Section 2. Section 20A-2-208 is enacted to read:
51
20A-2-208 . Registering to vote when purchasing a hunting or fishing license.
52
(1) As used in this section, "applicant" means an individual seeking to purchase a hunting
53
or fishing license who is eligible to register to vote under Section 20A-2-101 or
54
preregister to vote under Section 20A-2-101.1.
55
(2) An applicant may register or preregister to vote when purchasing a hunting or fishing
56
license at a Division of Wildlife Resources office.
57
(3) Each Division of Wildlife Resources office shall provide to applicants, either as part of
58
existing forms or on a separate form, the following information in substantially the
59
following form:
60
"REGISTERING TO VOTE
61
If you are not registered to vote where you live now, would you like to apply to
62
register or preregister to vote here today? Yes____ No____ IF YOU DO NOT CHECK
63
EITHER BOX, YOU WILL BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE DECIDED NOT TO
64
REGISTER OR PREREGISTER TO VOTE AT THIS TIME. If you would like help in
- 2 - 02-05 15:07 H.B. 423
65
filling out the voter registration form, we will help you. The decision about whether to
66
seek or accept help is yours. You may fill out the application form in private. If you
67
believe that someone has interfered with your right to register or preregister or to decline
68
to register or preregister to vote, your right to privacy in deciding whether to register or
69
preregister, or in applying to register or preregister to vote, or your right to choose your
70
own political party or other political preference, you may file a complaint with the
71
Office of the Lieutenant Governor, State Capitol Building, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114.
72
(The phone number of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor)."
73
(4) Unless an applicant declines to register or preregister to vote, each Division of Wildlife
74
Resources office shall:
75
(a) distribute a voter registration form to every applicant;
76
(b) assist applicants in completing the voter registration form unless the applicant
77
refuses assistance;
78
(c) accept completed forms for transmittal to the appropriate election official; and
79
(d) transmit a copy of each voter registration form to the appropriate election official
80
within five days after the day on which the Division of Wildlife Resources office
81
receives the voter registration form.
82
(5) An employee of the Division of Wildlife Resources who helps an applicant complete
83
the voter registration form may not:
84
(a) seek to influence an applicant's political preference or party registration;
85
(b) display any political preference or party allegiance; or
86
(c) make any statement to an applicant or take any action that has the purpose or effect
87
of discouraging the applicant from registering to vote.
88
(6) If the county clerk receives a correctly completed voter registration form under this
89
section no later than 5 p.m. 11 calendar days before the date of an election, the county
90
clerk shall:
91
(a) accept and process the voter registration form;
92
(b) unless the applicant named in the form is preregistering to vote:
93
(i) enter the applicant's name on the list of registered voters for the voting precinct in
94
which the individual resides; and
95
(ii) notify the applicant that the applicant is registered to vote in the upcoming
96
election; and
97
(c) if the applicant named in the form is preregistering to vote, comply with Section
98
20A-2-101.1.
- 3 - H.B. 423 02-05 15:07
99
(7) If the county clerk receives a correctly completed voter registration form after the
100
deadline described in Subsection (6), the county clerk shall:
101
(a) accept the application for registration of the applicant; and
102
(b) except as provided in Subsection 20A-2-207(6), if possible, promptly inform the
103
applicant that the applicant will not be registered to vote in the pending election,
104
unless the applicant registers to vote by provisional ballot during the early voting
105
period, if applicable, or on election day, in accordance with Section 20A-2-207.
106
(8) If the county clerk determines that a voter registration form received from a Division of
107
Wildlife Resources office is incorrect because of an error or because the voter
108
registration form is incomplete, the county clerk shall provide notice to the applicant
109
attempting to register or preregister to vote, stating that the applicant has not been
110
registered or preregistered to vote because of an error or because the voter registration
111
form is incomplete.
112
(9) The Division of Wildlife Resources shall provide a link to the state's online voter
113
registration application to each applicant who purchases a hunting or fishing license on
114
the Internet.
115
Section 3. Section 20A-2-301 is amended to read:
116
20A-2-301 . County clerk responsibilities -- Voter registration forms.
117
(1) Each county clerk shall provide voter registration forms for use in the voter registration
118
process.
119
(2)(a) Each county clerk shall provide a copy of the voter registration form to each
120
public assistance agency and discretionary voter registration agency.
121
(b) Each county clerk shall provide a copy of the voter registration form to each
122
Division of Wildlife Resources office in the county.
123
[(b)] (c) Each county clerk may provide a copy of the voter registration form to public
124
school districts and nonpublic schools as provided in Section 20A-2-302.
125
(3)(a) The clerk shall make a copy of the voter registration form available to any person
126
upon request.
127
(b) A person may make multiple copies of the voter registration form at the person's own
128
expense.
129
(c) A person shall provide all completed voter registration forms in the person's
130
possession to the county clerk at or before 5 p.m. on the day of the voter registration
131
deadline.
132
(4) The county clerk may not refuse to register an individual to vote for failing to provide a
- 4 - 02-05 15:07 H.B. 423
133
telephone number on the voter registration form.
134
(5)(a) It is unlawful for any person in possession of a completed voter registration form,
135
other than the person's own completed voter registration form, to willfully fail or
136
refuse to timely deliver the completed voter registration form to the county clerk.
137
(b) A person who violates this Subsection (5) is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.
138
Section 4. Section 20A-2-304 is amended to read:
139
20A-2-304 . County clerk's responsibilities -- Notice of disposition.
140
Each county clerk shall:
141
(1) register to vote each individual who meets the requirements for registration and who:
142
(a) submits a completed voter registration form to the county clerk;
143
(b) submits a completed voter registration form, as defined in Section 20A-2-204, to the
144
Driver License Division;
145
(c) submits a completed voter registration form to a public assistance agency or a
146
discretionary voter registration agency;
147
(d) submits a completed voter registration form to a Division of Wildlife Resources
148
office; or
149
[(d)] (e) mails a completed voter registration form to the county clerk; and
150
(2) within 30 days after the day on which the county clerk processes a voter registration
151
form, send a notice to the individual who submits the form that:
152
(a)(i) informs the individual that the individual's voter registration form has been
153
accepted and that the individual is registered to vote;
154
(ii) informs the individual of the procedure for designating or changing the
155
individual's political affiliation;
156
(iii) informs the individual of the procedure to cancel a voter registration;
157
(iv) provides instructions to the voter on how the voter may sign up to receive
158
electronic ballot status notifications via the ballot tracking system described in
159
Section 20A-3a-401.5; and
160
(v) confirms that the individual has chosen to receive electronic ballot status
161
notifications if the individual opted to receive electronic ballot status notifications
162
on the voter registration form;
163
(b) informs the individual that the individual's voter registration form has been rejected
164
and the reason for the rejection; or
165
(c)(i) informs the individual that the individual's voter registration form is being
166
returned to the individual for further action because the form is incomplete; and
- 5 - H.B. 423 02-05 15:07
167
(ii) gives instructions to the individual on how to properly complete the form.
168
Section 5. Section 20A-2-506 is amended to read:
169
20A-2-506 . Lieutenant governor and county clerks to preserve records.
170
(1) As used in this section:
171
(a) "Voter registration record" means a record concerning the implementation of
172
programs and activities conducted for the purpose of ensuring that the official
173
register is accurate and current.
174
(b) "Voter registration record" does not include a record that:
175
(i) relates to a person's decision to decline to register to vote; or
176
(ii) identifies the particular public assistance agency, discretionary voter registration
177
agency, Division of Wildlife Resources office, or Driver License Division through
178
which a particular voter registered to vote.
179
(2) The lieutenant governor and each county clerk shall:
180
(a) preserve for at least two years all records relating to voter registration, including:
181
(i) the official register; and
182
(ii) the name and address of each individual to whom the notice required by Section
183
20A-2-505 was sent and a notation regarding whether the individual responded to
184
the notice;
185
(b) make a voter registration record available for public inspection, except for a voter
186
registration record, or part of a voter registration record that is classified as private
187
under Section 63G-2-302; and
188
(c) allow a record or part of a record described in Subsection (2)(b) that is not classified
189
as a private record to be photocopied for a reasonable cost.
190
(3) The lieutenant governor shall take, and store for at least 22 months, a static copy of the
191
official register made at the following times:
192
(a) the voter registration deadline described in Subsection 20A-2-102.5(2)(a);
193
(b) the day of the election; and
194
(c) the last day of the canvass.
195
Section 6. Effective Date.
196
This bill takes effect on May 7, 2025.
- 6 -