The Utah House recently passed HB300 with a 57-15 vote, a bill that aims to make major changes to the state’s election laws. The bill, if passed by the Senate, will require voters to opt in to receive a mail-in ballot by 2028. It will also mandate the inclusion of the last four digits of a state ID when voting. This legislation is the result of weeks of negotiations between House and Senate Republicans, resulting in significant modifications to the original proposal.
One key reform included in the bill is the requirement for voters to write their final four digits of their driver’s license or state ID on the return envelope for their ballot, in place of signature verification by county clerks. While the original version of the bill faced opposition due to concerns about accessibility and costs, the revised version aims to balance convenience and security.
In addition, the bill will speed up election results by eliminating time-consuming steps in the vote-by-mail system and requiring ballots to be received by county clerks on election night to be counted. This change is intended to address complaints about Utah being slow to update election results compared to other states.
HB300 will also implement various measures to improve election integrity, such as adjusting voter rolls, identifying noncitizen voters, and investigating the validity of voter registrations. The bill is seen as a response to concerns raised in the 2024 election audits and losing campaigns, with the goal of creating a more efficient and secure election process in Utah.
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