Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 196 (2021GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Nelson, M.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/16/2021

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• clarifies the requirement to include a reference to the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission's website address on the judicial retention portion of a general election ballot.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

BALLOT AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Merrill F. Nelson
Senate Sponsor: 
Daniel W. Thatcher
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill addresses general election ballot requirements.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ clarifies the requirement to include a reference to the Judicial Performance
Evaluation Commission's website address on the judicial retention portion of a
general election ballot.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
20A-6-301
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapters 31, 49, and 344
20A-6-304
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapter 31
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
20A-6-301
 is amended to read:
20A-6-301.
Manual ballots -- Regular general election.
(1) Each election officer shall ensure that:
(a) all manual ballots furnished for use at the regular general election contain:
(i) no captions or other endorsements except as provided in this section;
(ii) no symbols, markings, or other descriptions of a political party or group, except for
a registered political party that has chosen to nominate its candidates in accordance with
Section 
20A-9-403
; and
(iii) no indication that a candidate for elective office has been nominated by, or has
been endorsed by, or is in any way affiliated with a political party or group, unless the
candidate has been nominated by a registered political party in accordance with Subsection
20A-9-202
(4) or Subsection 
20A-9-403
(5);
(b) at the top of the ballot, the following endorsements are printed in 18 point bold type:
(i) "Official Ballot for ____ County, Utah";
(ii) the date of the election; and
(iii) the words "certified by the Clerk of __________ County" or, as applicable, the
name of a combined office that includes the duties of a county clerk;
(c) unaffiliated candidates, candidates not affiliated with a registered political party,
and all other candidates for elective office who were not nominated by a registered political
party in accordance with Subsection 
20A-9-202
(4) or Subsection 
20A-9-403
(5), are listed with
the other candidates for the same office in accordance with Section 
20A-6-305
, without a party
name or title;
(d) each ticket containing the lists of candidates, including the party name and device,
are separated by heavy parallel lines;
(e) the offices to be filled are plainly printed immediately above the names of the
candidates for those offices;
(f) the names of candidates are printed in capital letters, not less than one-eighth nor
more than one-fourth of an inch high in heavy-faced type not smaller than 10 point, between
lines or rules three-eighths of an inch apart; and
(g) on a ticket for a race in which a voter is authorized to cast a write-in vote and in
which a write-in candidate is qualified under Section 
20A-9-601
:
(i) the ballot includes a space for a write-in candidate immediately following the last
candidate listed on that ticket; or
(ii) for the offices of president and vice president and governor and lieutenant
governor, the ballot includes two spaces for write-in candidates immediately following the last
candidates on that ticket, one placed above the other, to enable the entry of two valid write-in
candidates.
(2) An election officer shall ensure that:
(a) each individual nominated by any registered political party under Subsection
20A-9-202
(4) or Subsection 
20A-9-403
(5), and no other individual, is placed on the ballot:
(i) under the registered political party's name, if any; or
(ii) under the title of the registered political party as designated by them in their
certificates of nomination or petition, or, if none is designated, then under some suitable title;
(b) the names of all unaffiliated candidates that qualify as required in Chapter 9, Part 5,
Candidates not Affiliated with a Party, are placed on the ballot;
(c) the names of the candidates for president and vice president are used on the ballot
instead of the names of the presidential electors; and
(d) the ballots contain no other names.
(3) When the ballot contains a nonpartisan section, the election officer shall ensure
that:
(a) the designation of the office to be filled in the election and the number of
candidates to be elected are printed in type not smaller than eight point;
(b) the words designating the office are printed flush with the left-hand margin;
(c) the words, "Vote for one" or "Vote for up to _____ (the number of candidates for
which the voter may vote)" extend to the extreme right of the column;
(d) the nonpartisan candidates are grouped according to the office for which they are
candidates;
(e) the names in each group are placed in the order specified under Section 
20A-6-305
with the surnames last; and
(f) each group is preceded by the designation of the office for which the candidates
seek election, and the words, "Vote for one" or "Vote for up to _____ (the number of
candidates for which the voter may vote)," according to the number to be elected.
(4) Each election officer shall ensure that:
(a) proposed amendments to the Utah Constitution are listed on the ballot in
accordance with Section 
20A-6-107
;
(b) ballot propositions submitted to the voters are listed on the ballot in accordance
with Section 
20A-6-107
; [
and
]
(c) bond propositions that have qualified for the ballot are listed on the ballot under the
title assigned to each bond proposition under Section 
11-14-206
[
.
]
; and
(d) the judicial retention section of the ballot includes a statement at the beginning
directing voters to the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission's website in accordance
with Subsection 
20A-12-201
(4).
Section 2. Section 
20A-6-304
 is amended to read:
20A-6-304.
Regular general election -- Mechanical ballots.
(1) Each election officer shall ensure that:
(a) the format and content of a mechanical ballot is arranged in approximately the same
order as manual ballots;
(b) the titles of offices and the names of candidates are displayed in vertical columns or
in a series of separate displays;
(c) the mechanical ballot is of sufficient length to include, after the list of candidates:
(i) the names of candidates for judicial offices and any other nonpartisan offices; and
(ii) any ballot propositions submitted to the voters for their approval or rejection;
(d) the office titles are displayed above or at the side of the names of candidates so as
to indicate clearly the candidates for each office and the number to be elected;
(e) the party designation of each candidate who has been nominated by a registered
political party under Subsection 
20A-9-202
(4) or Subsection 
20A-9-403
(5) is displayed
adjacent to the candidate's name; and
(f) if possible, all candidates for one office are grouped in one column or upon one
display screen.
(2) Each election officer shall ensure that:
(a) proposed amendments to the Utah Constitution are displayed in accordance with
Section 
20A-6-107
;
(b) ballot propositions submitted to the voters are displayed in accordance with Section
20A-6-107
; [
and
]
(c) bond propositions that have qualified for the ballot are displayed under the title
assigned to each bond proposition under Section 
11-14-206
[
.
]
; and
(d) the judicial retention section of the ballot includes a statement at the beginning
directing voters to the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission's website in accordance
with Subsection 
20A-12-201
(4).