Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 374 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Kohler, Mike L.

Final action

House/ filed 3/7/2025

Outcome

Failed / filed without passage

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• establishes a process for a voter to have the voter's signature removed from a petition to nominate a candidate of a registered political party that is not a qualified political party to elective office;
• requires an election official to post on the lieutenant governor's website the name and date of signature of each voter who signs a nomination petition;
• prohibits an election official from removing a voter's signature from a nomination petition if the election official has already verified the voter's signature;
• requires an election official to notify the county or district attorney if a person whose signature appears on a nomination petition notifies the election official that the person did not sign the nomination petition;
• describes deadlines and procedures related to the processes described above;
• includes a coordination clause that adds an hourly deadline to Sections 20A-9-405 and 20A-9-408 to reflect the time computation changes made in H.B. 299, Election Code Time Computation Revisions, if both bills pass and become law; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

18
20A-9-403
20A-9-405
20A-9-408
20A-9-502
Signature Collection Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Michael L. Kohler
Senate Sponsor: Keven J. Stratton
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill amends provisions related to nominations for elective office.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
establishes a process for a voter who signs a petition on behalf of a candidate for elective 
office who is seeking the nomination of a registered political party that is not a qualified 
political party to have the voter's signature removed from the petition;
requires an election official to post on the lieutenant governor's website the name, voter 
identification number, and date of signature of each voter who signs a petition to 
nominate a candidate for elective office who is:
a member of a political party; or
an unaffiliated candidate;
prohibits an election official from removing a voter's name from a petition described 
above if the election official has already verified the voter's signature; 
describes deadlines and procedures related to the processes described above; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
20A-9-403
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 503
20A-9-405
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2022, Chapter 325
20A-9-408
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 116
20A-9-502
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 17
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
20A-9-403
 is amended to read:
20A-9-403. Regular primary elections.
(1)
(a)
Candidates for elective office that are to be filled at the next regular general 
election shall be nominated in a regular primary election by direct vote of the people 
in the manner prescribed in this section. The regular primary election is held on the 
date specified in Section 
20A-1-201.5
. Nothing in this section shall affect a 
candidate's ability to qualify for a regular general election's ballot as an unaffiliated 
candidate under Section 
20A-9-501
 or to participate in a regular general election as a 
write-in candidate under Section 
20A-9-601
.
(b)
Each registered political party that chooses to have the names of the registered 
political party's candidates for elective office featured with party affiliation on the 
ballot at a regular general election shall comply with the requirements of this section 
and shall nominate the registered political party's candidates for elective office in the 
manner described in this section.
(c)
A filing officer may not permit an official ballot at a regular general election to be 
produced or used if the ballot denotes affiliation between a registered political party 
or any other political group and a candidate for elective office who is not nominated 
in the manner prescribed in this section or in Subsection 
20A-9-202
(4).
(d)
Unless noted otherwise, the dates in this section refer to those that occur in each 
even-numbered year in which a regular general election will be held.
(2)
(a)
Each registered political party, in a statement filed with the lieutenant governor, 
shall:
(i)
either declare the registered political party's intent to participate in the next regular 
primary election or declare that the registered political party chooses not to have 
the names of the registered political party's candidates for elective office featured 
on the ballot at the next regular general election; and
(ii)
if the registered political party participates in the upcoming regular primary 
election, identify one or more registered political parties whose members may 
vote for the registered political party's candidates and whether individuals 
identified as unaffiliated with a political party may vote for the registered political 
party's candidates.
(b)
(i)
A registered political party that is a continuing political party shall file the 
statement described in Subsection (2)(a) with the lieutenant governor no later than 
5 p.m. on November 30 of each odd-numbered year.
(ii)
An organization that is seeking to become a registered political party under 
Section 
20A-8-103
 shall file the statement described in Subsection (2)(a) at the 
time that the registered political party files the petition described in Section 
20A-8-103
.
(3)
(a)
Except as provided in Subsection (3)(e), an individual who submits a declaration 
of candidacy under Section 
20A-9-202
 shall appear as a candidate for elective office 
on the regular primary ballot of the registered political party listed on the declaration 
of candidacy only if the individual is certified by the appropriate filing officer as 
having submitted a nomination petition that was:
(i)
circulated and completed in accordance with Section 
20A-9-405
; and
(ii)
signed by at least 2% of the registered political party's members who reside in the 
political division of the office that the individual seeks.
(b)
(i)
A candidate for elective office shall submit signatures for a nomination petition 
to the appropriate filing officer for verification and certification no later than 5 
p.m. on the final day in March.
(ii)
A candidate may supplement the candidate's submissions at any time on or before 
the filing deadline.
(c)
(i)
The lieutenant governor shall determine for each elective office the total 
number of signatures that must be submitted under Subsection (3)(a)(ii) or 
20A-9-408
(8) by counting the aggregate number of individuals residing in each 
elective office's political division who have designated a particular registered 
political party on the individuals' voter registration forms on or before November 
15 of each odd-numbered year.
(ii)
The lieutenant governor shall publish the determination for each elective office 
no later than November 30 of each odd-numbered year.
(d)
The filing officer shall:
(i)
except as otherwise provided in Section 
20A-21-201
, verify signatures on 
nomination petitions
a nomination petition
 in a transparent and orderly manner, 
no later than 14 days after the day on which a candidate submits the signatures to 
the filing officer;
(ii)
for 
all qualifying candidates for elective office who submit nomination petitions 
to the filing officer, issue certifications referenced
each qualifying candidate for 
elective office who submits a nomination petition to the filing officer, issue the 
certification described
 in Subsection (3)(a) no later than the deadline described in 
Subsection 
20A-9-202
(1)(b);
(iii)
consider 
active and inactive voters eligible to sign nomination petitions
an 
active voter and inactive voter eligible to sign a nomination petition
;
(iv)
consider an individual who signs a nomination petition a member of a registered 
political party for purposes of Subsection (3)(a)(ii) if the individual has designated 
that
the
 registered political party as the individual's party membership on the 
individual's voter registration form;
 and
(v)
except as otherwise provided in Section 
20A-21-201
 and with the assistance of 
the county clerk as applicable, use the procedures described in Section 
20A-1-1002
to verify submitted nomination petition signatures, or use statistical sampling 
procedures to verify submitted nomination petition signatures in accordance with 
rules made under Subsection (3)(f)
.
; and
(vi)
except as provided in Subsection 
20A-9-405(10)
, no later than five business days 
after the day on which the signature of an individual who signs a nomination 
petition is verified under Subsection (3)(d)(v), post the name, voter identification 
number, and date of signature of the individual on the lieutenant governor's 
website, in a conspicuous location designated by the lieutenant governor, for at 
least 90 days.
(e)
Notwithstanding any other provision in this Subsection (3), a candidate for lieutenant 
governor may appear on the regular primary ballot of a registered political party 
without submitting 
nomination petitions
a nomination petition
 if the candidate files 
a declaration of candidacy and complies with Subsection 
20A-9-202
(3).
(f)
In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the 
director of elections, within the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, may make rules 
that:
(i)
provide for the use of statistical sampling procedures that:
(A)
filing officers are
each filing officer is
 required to use to verify signatures 
under Subsection (3)(d); and
(B)
reflect a bona fide effort to determine the validity of a candidate's entire 
submission, using widely recognized statistical sampling techniques; and
(ii)
provide for the transparent, orderly, and timely submission, verification, and 
certification of nomination petition signatures.
(g)
The county clerk shall:
(i)
review the declarations of candidacy filed by 
candidates
each candidate
 for local 
boards of education to determine if more than two candidates have filed for the 
same seat;
(ii)
place the 
names of all candidates who have filed
name of each candidate who 
files
 a declaration of candidacy for a local board of education seat on the 
nonpartisan section of the ballot if more than two candidates have filed for the 
same seat; and
(iii)
determine the order of the local board of education candidates' names on the 
ballot in accordance with Section 
20A-6-305
.
(4)
(a)
Before the deadline described in Subsection 
20A-9-409
(4)(c), the lieutenant 
governor shall provide to 
the county clerks
each county clerk
:
(i)
a list of the names of 
all candidates
each candidate
 for federal, constitutional, 
multi-county, single county, and county 
offices who have received certifications
office who has received a certification
 under Subsection (3)
(a)
, along with 
instructions on how 
those names
each name
 shall appear on the primary election 
ballot in accordance with Section 
20A-6-305
; and
(ii)
a list of 
unopposed candidates for elective office who have
each unopposed 
candidate for elective office who has
 been nominated by a registered political 
party under Subsection (5)(c) and 
instruct the county clerks
instructions
 to 
exclude the unopposed 
candidates
candidate
 from the primary election ballot.
(b)
A candidate for lieutenant governor and a candidate for governor campaigning as 
joint-ticket running mates shall appear jointly on the primary election ballot.
(c)
After the county clerk receives the certified list from the lieutenant governor under 
Subsection (4)(a), the county clerk shall post or publish a primary election notice in 
substantially the following form:
"Notice is given that a primary election will be held Tuesday, June ____, 
________(year), to nominate party candidates for the parties and candidates for nonpartisan 
local school board positions listed on the primary ballot. The polling place for voting precinct 
____ is ____. The polls will open at 7 a.m. and continue open until 8 p.m. of the same day. 
Attest: county clerk."
(5)
(a)
A candidate who, at the regular primary election, receives the highest number of 
votes cast for the office sought by the candidate is:
(i)
nominated for that office by the candidate's registered political party; or
(ii)
for a nonpartisan local school board position, nominated for that office.
(b)
If two or more candidates are to be elected to the office at the regular general 
election, those party candidates equal in number to positions to be filled who receive 
the highest number of votes at the regular primary election are the nominees of the 
candidates' party for those positions.
(c)
(i)
As used in this Subsection (5)(c), a candidate is "unopposed" if:
(A)
no individual other than the candidate receives a certification under 
Subsection (3)
(a)
 for the regular primary election ballot of the candidate's 
registered political party for a particular elective office; or
(B)
for an office where more than one individual is to be elected or nominated, the 
number of candidates who receive certification under Subsection (3)
(a)
 for the 
regular primary election of the candidate's registered political party does not 
exceed the total number of candidates to be elected or nominated for that office.
(ii)
A candidate who is unopposed for an elective office in the regular primary 
election of a registered political party is nominated by the party for that office 
without appearing on the primary election ballot.
(6)
The expense of providing all ballots, blanks, or other supplies to be used at any primary 
election provided for by this section, and all expenses necessarily incurred in the 
preparation for or the conduct of that primary election shall be paid out of the treasury of 
the county or state, in the same manner as for the regular general elections.
(7)
An individual may not file a declaration of candidacy for a registered political party of 
which the individual is not a member, except to the extent that the registered political 
party permits otherwise under the registered political party's bylaws.
Section 2, Section 
20A-9-405
 is amended to read:
20A-9-405. Nomination petitions for regular primary elections.
(1)
This section applies to the form and circulation of nomination petitions for regular 
primary elections described in Subsection 
20A-9-403(3)(a)
.
(2)
A candidate for elective office, and the agents of the candidate, may not circulate 
nomination petitions until the candidate has submitted a declaration of candidacy in 
accordance with Subsection 
20A-9-202(1)
.
(3)
For the manual candidate qualification process, the nomination petitions shall be in 
substantially the following form:
(a)
the petition shall be printed on paper 8-1/2 inches long and 11 inches wide;
(b)
the petition shall be ruled with a horizontal line 3/4 inch from the top, with the space 
above that line blank for purposes of binding;
(c)
the petition shall be headed by a caption stating the purpose of the petition and the 
name of the proposed candidate;
(d)
the petition shall feature the word "Warning" followed by the following statement in 
no less than eight-point, single leaded type: "It is a class A misdemeanor for anyone 
to knowingly sign a nomination petition with any name other than the person's own 
name, or more than once for the same candidate, or if the person is not registered to 
vote in this state.";
(e)
the petition shall feature 10 lines spaced one-half inch apart and consecutively 
numbered one through 10;
(f)
the signature portion of the petition shall be divided into columns headed by the 
following titles:
(i)
Registered Voter's Printed Name;
(ii)
Signature of Registered Voter;
(iii)
Party Affiliation of Registered Voter;
(iv)
Birth Date or Age (Optional);
(v)
Street Address, City, Zip Code; and
(vi)
Date of Signature; and
(g)
a photograph of the candidate may appear on the nomination petition.
(4)
For the electronic candidate qualification process, the lieutenant governor shall design 
an electronic form, using progressive screens, that includes:
(a)
the following warning:
"Warning: It is a class A misdemeanor for anyone to knowingly sign a nomination 
petition with any name other than the person's own name, or more than once for the same 
candidate, or if the person is not registered to vote in this state."; and
(b)
the following information for each individual who signs the petition:
(i)
name;
(ii)
party affiliation;
(iii)
date of birth or age, (optional);
(iv)
street address, city, zip code;
(v)
date of signature;
(vi)
other information required under Section 
20A-21-201
; and
(vii)
other information required by the lieutenant governor.
(5)
For the manual candidate qualification process, if one or more nomination petitions are 
bound together, a page shall be bound to the nomination petition(s) that features the following 
printed verification statement to be signed and dated by the petition circulator:
"Verification
State of Utah, County of ____
I, ____, of ____, hereby state that:
I am a Utah resident and am at least 18 years old;
All the names that appear on the signature sheets bound to this page were, to the best of 
my knowledge, signed by the persons who professed to be the persons whose names appear on 
the signature sheets, and each of them signed the person's name on the signature sheets in my 
presence;
I believe that each has printed and signed the person's name and written the person's 
street address correctly, and that each signer is registered to vote in Utah."
(6)
The lieutenant governor shall prepare and make public model nomination petition forms 
and associated instructions.
(7)
A nomination petition circulator must be at least 18 years old and a resident of the state, 
but may affiliate with any political party.
(8)
It is unlawful for any person to:
(a)
knowingly sign the nomination petition described in this section or Section 
20A-9-408
:
(i)
with any name other than the person's own name;
(ii)
more than once for the same candidate; or
(iii)
if the person is not registered to vote in this state;
(b)
sign the verification of a signature for a nomination petition if the person:
(i)
does not meet the residency requirements of Section 
20A-2-105
;
(ii)
has not witnessed the signing by those persons whose names appear on the 
nomination petition; or
(iii)
knows that a person whose signature appears on the nomination petition is not 
registered to vote in this state;
(c)
pay compensation to any person to sign a nomination petition; or
(d)
pay compensation to any person to circulate a nomination petition, if the 
compensation is based directly on the number of signatures submitted to a filing 
officer rather than on the number of signatures verified or on some other basis.
(9)
Any person violating Subsection 
(8)
 is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
(10)
(a)
Except as provided in Subsection (11), a voter who signs a nomination petition 
may have the voter's signature removed from the petition by, no later than three 
business days after the day on which the candidate files the petition with the 
appropriate filing officer, submitting to the filing officer a statement requesting that 
the voter's signature be removed.
(b)
A statement described in Subsection (10)(a) shall comply with the requirements 
described in Subsection 
20A-1-1003(2)
.
(c)
The filing officer shall use the procedures described in Subsection 
20A-1-1003(3)
 to 
determine whether to remove an individual's signature from a nomination petition 
after receiving a timely, valid statement requesting removal of the signature.
(11)
(a)
A filing officer may not remove a voter's signature from a nomination petition if, 
before the date and time that the filing officer receives the statement described in 
Subsection 
(10)(a)
, the filing officer verifies the voter's signature under Subsection 
20A-9-403(3)(d)(v)
.
(b)
A filing officer who removes a voter's signature under Subsection 
(10)
 shall:
(i)
ensure that the voter's name, voter identification number, and date of signature are 
not included in the posting described in Subsection 
20A-9-403(3)(d)(vi)
; and
(ii)
remove the voter's signature from the nomination petition and the nomination 
petition signature totals.
(10)
Withdrawal of petition signatures is prohibited.
Section 3, Section 
20A-9-408
 is amended to read:
20A-9-408. Signature-gathering process to seek the nomination of a qualified 
political party -- Removal of signature.
(1)
This section describes the requirements for a member of a qualified political party who 
is seeking the nomination of the qualified political party for an elective office through 
the signature-gathering process described in this section.
(2)
Notwithstanding Subsection 
20A-9-201(7)(a)
, the form of the declaration of candidacy 
for a member of a qualified political party who is nominated by, or who is seeking the 
nomination of, the qualified political party under this section shall be substantially as 
described in Section 
20A-9-408.5
.
(3)
Notwithstanding Subsection 
20A-9-202(1)(a)
, and except as provided in Subsection 
20A-9-202(4)
, a member of a qualified political party who, under this section, is seeking 
the nomination of the qualified political party for an elective office that is to be filled at 
the next general election shall:
(a)
during the declaration of candidacy filing period described in Section 
20A-9-201.5
, 
and before gathering signatures under this section, file with the filing officer on a 
form approved by the lieutenant governor a notice of intent to gather signatures for 
candidacy that includes:
(i)
the name of the member who will attempt to become a candidate for a registered 
political party under this section;
(ii)
the name of the registered political party for which the member is seeking 
nomination;
(iii)
the office for which the member is seeking to become a candidate;
(iv)
the address and telephone number of the member; and
(v)
other information required by the lieutenant governor;
(b)
except as provided in Subsection 
20A-9-202(1)(c)
, file a declaration of candidacy, in 
person, with the filing officer during the declaration of candidacy filing period 
described in Section 
20A-9-201.5
; and
(c)
pay the filing fee.
(4)
Notwithstanding Subsection 
20A-9-202(2)(a)
, a member of a qualified political party 
who, under this section, is seeking the nomination of the qualified political party for the 
office of district attorney within a multicounty prosecution district that is to be filled at 
the next general election shall:
(a)
during the declaration of candidacy filing period described in Section 
20A-9-201.5
, 
and before gathering signatures under this section, file with the filing officer on a 
form approved by the lieutenant governor a notice of intent to gather signatures for 
candidacy that includes:
(i)
the name of the member who will attempt to become a candidate for a registered 
political party under this section;
(ii)
the name of the registered political party for which the member is seeking 
nomination;
(iii)
the office for which the member is seeking to become a candidate;
(iv)
the address and telephone number of the member; and
(v)
other information required by the lieutenant governor;
(b)
except as provided in Subsection 
20A-9-202(1)(c)
, file a declaration of candidacy, in 
person, with the filing officer during the declaration of candidacy filing period 
described in Section 
20A-9-201.5
; and
(c)
pay the filing fee.
(5)
Notwithstanding Subsection 
20A-9-202(3)(a)(iii)
, a lieutenant governor candidate who 
files as the joint-ticket running mate of an individual who is nominated by a qualified 
political party, under this section, for the office of governor shall, during the declaration 
of candidacy filing period described in Section 
20A-9-201.5
, file a declaration of 
candidacy and submit a letter from the candidate for governor that names the lieutenant 
governor candidate as a joint-ticket running mate.
(6)
The lieutenant governor shall ensure that the certification described in Subsection 
20A-9-701(1)
 also includes the name of each candidate nominated by a qualified 
political party under this section.
(7)
Notwithstanding Subsection 
20A-9-701(2)
, the ballot shall, for each candidate who is 
nominated by a qualified political party under this section, designate the qualified 
political party that nominated the candidate.
(8)
A member of a qualified political party may seek the nomination of the qualified 
political party for an elective office by:
(a)
complying with the requirements described in this section; and
(b)
collecting signatures, on a form approved by the lieutenant governor that complies 
with Subsection 
20A-9-405(3)
, during the period beginning on the day on which the 
member files a notice of intent to gather signatures and ending at 5 p.m. 14 days 
before the day on which the qualified political party's convention for the office is 
held, in the following amounts:
(i)
for a statewide race, 28,000 signatures of registered voters in the state who are 
permitted by the qualified political party to vote for the qualified political party's 
candidates in a primary election;
(ii)
for a congressional district race, 7,000 signatures of registered voters who are 
residents of the congressional district and are permitted by the qualified political 
party to vote for the qualified political party's candidates in a primary election;
(iii)
for a state Senate district race, 2,000 signatures of registered voters who are 
residents of the state Senate district and are permitted by the qualified political 
party to vote for the qualified political party's candidates in a primary election;
(iv)
for a state House district race, 1,000 signatures of registered voters who are 
residents of the state House district and are permitted by the qualified political 
party to vote for the qualified political party's candidates in a primary election;
(v)
for a State Board of Education race, the lesser of:
(A)
2,000 signatures of registered voters who are residents of the State Board of 
Education district and are permitted by the qualified political party to vote for 
the qualified political party's candidates in a primary election; or
(B)
3% of the registered voters of the qualified political party who are residents of 
the applicable State Board of Education district; and
(vi)
for a county office race, signatures of 3% of the registered voters who are 
residents of the area permitted to vote for the county office and are permitted by 
the qualified political party to vote for the qualified political party's candidates in 
a primary election.
(9)
(a)
This Subsection 
(9)
 applies only to the manual candidate qualification process.
(b)
In order for a member of the qualified political party to qualify as a candidate for the 
qualified political party's nomination for an elective office under this section, using 
the manual candidate qualification process, the member shall:
(i)
collect the signatures on a form approved by the lieutenant governor, using the 
same circulation and verification requirements described in 
Sections 
20A-7-105
and 
20A-7-204
Section 
20A-9-405
; and
(ii)
submit the signatures to the election officer before 5 p.m. no later than 14 days 
before the day on which the qualified political party holds the party's convention 
to select candidates, for the elective office, for the qualified political party's 
nomination.
(c)
Upon timely receipt of the signatures described in Subsections 
(8)
 and 
(9)(b)
, the 
election officer shall, no later than the earlier of 14 days after the day on which the 
election officer receives the signatures, or one day before the day on which the 
qualified political party holds the convention to select a nominee for the elective 
office to which the signature packets relate:
(i)
check the name of each individual who completes the verification for a signature 
packet to determine whether each individual is a resident of Utah and is at least 18 
years old;
(ii)
submit the name of each individual described in Subsection 
(9)(c)(i)
 who is not a 
Utah resident or who is not at least 18 years old to the attorney general and the 
county attorney;
(iii)
with the assistance of the county clerk as applicable, determine whether each 
signer is a registered voter who is qualified to sign the petition, using the same 
method, described in Section 
20A-1-1002
, used to verify a signature on a petition; 
and
(iv)
certify whether each name is that of a registered voter who is qualified to sign the 
signature packet.
(d)
Except as provided in Subsection (11), an election officer shall, no later than five 
business days after the day on which the signature of an individual who signs a 
petition is verified under Subsection 
(9)(c)(iii)
, post the name, voter identification 
number, and date of signature of the individual on the lieutenant governor's website, 
in a conspicuous location designated by the lieutenant governor, for at least 90 days.
(d)
(i)
A registered voter who physically signs a form under Subsections 
(8)
 and 
(9)(b)
 may have the voter's signature removed from the form by, no later than 
three business days after the day on which the member submits the signature form 
to the election officer, submitting to the election officer a statement requesting 
that the voter's signature be removed.
(ii)
A statement described in Subsection 
(9)(d)(i)
 shall comply with the requirements 
described in Subsection 
20A-1-1003(2)
.
(iii)
With the assistance of the county clerk as applicable, the election officer shall 
use the procedures described in Subsection 
20A-1-1003(3)
 to determine whether 
to remove an individual's signature after receiving a timely, valid statement 
requesting removal of the signature.
(10)
(a)
This Subsection 
(10)
 applies only to the electronic candidate qualification 
process.
(b)
In order for a member of the qualified political party to qualify as a candidate for the 
qualified political party's nomination for an elective office under this section, the 
member shall, before 5 p.m. no later than 14 days before the day on which the 
qualified political party holds the party's convention to select candidates, for the 
elective office, for the qualified political party's nomination, collect signatures 
electronically:
(i)
in accordance with Section 
20A-21-201
; and
(ii)
using progressive screens, in a format approved by the lieutenant governor, that 
complies with Subsection 
20A-9-405(4)
.
(c)
Upon timely receipt of the signatures described in Subsections 
(8)
 and 
(9)(b)
(10)(b)
, 
the election officer shall, no later than the earlier of 14 days after the day on which 
the election officer receives the signatures, or one day before the day on which the 
qualified political party holds the convention to select a nominee for the elective 
office to which the signature packets relate:
(i)
check the name of each individual who completes the verification for a signature 
to determine whether each individual is a resident of Utah and is at least 18 years 
old; and
(ii)
submit the name of each individual described in Subsection 
(10)(c)(i)
 who is not 
a Utah resident or who is not at least 18 years old to the attorney general and the 
county attorney.
(d)
Except as provided in Subsection (11), an election officer shall, no later than five 
business days after the day on which the signature of an individual who signs a 
petition is verified under Section 
20A-21-201
, post the name, voter identification 
number, and date of signature of the individual on the lieutenant governor's website, 
in a conspicuous location designated by the lieutenant governor, for at least 90 days.
(11)
(a)
Except as provided in Subsection 
(12)
, a registered voter who physically signs a 
petition under Subsections 
(8)
 and (9)(b), or who electronically signs a petition under 
Subsections 
(8)
 and (10)(b), may have the voter's signature removed from the petition 
by, no later than three business days after the day on which the member of the 
qualified political party submits the signatures to the election officer, submitting to 
the election officer a statement requesting that the voter's signature be removed.
(b)
A statement described in Subsection 
(11)(a)
 shall comply with the requirements 
described in Subsection 
20A-1-1003(2)
.
(c)
With the assistance of the county clerk as applicable, the election officer shall use the 
procedures described in Subsection 
20A-1-1003(3)
 to determine whether to remove 
an individual's signature from a petition after receiving a timely, valid statement 
requesting removal of the signature.
(12)
(a)
An election officer may not remove a voter's signature from a petition if, before 
the date and time that the election officer receives the statement described in 
Subsection 
(11)(a)
, the election officer verifies the voter's signature under Subsection 
(9)(c)(iii)
 or Section 
20A-21-201
.
(b)
An election officer who removes a voter's signature under Subsection 
(11)
 shall:
(i)
ensure that the voter's name, voter identification number, and date of signature are 
not included in the posting described in Subsection 
(9)(d)
 or 
(10)(d)
; and
(ii)
remove the voter's signature from the petition and the petition signature totals.
(11)
(13)
(a)
An individual may not gather signatures under this section until after the 
individual files a notice of intent to gather signatures for candidacy described in this 
section.
(b)
An individual who files a notice of intent to gather signatures for candidacy, 
described in Subsection 
(3)(a)
 or 
(4)(a)
, is, beginning on the day on which the 
individual files the notice of intent to gather signatures for candidacy:
(i)
required to comply with the reporting requirements that a candidate for office is 
required to comply with; and
(ii)
subject to the same enforcement provisions, and civil and criminal penalties, that 
apply to a candidate for office in relation to the reporting requirements described 
in Subsection 
(11)(b)(i)
(13)(b)(i)
.
(c)
Upon timely receipt of the signatures described in Subsections 
(8)
 and 
(9)(b)
, or 
Subsections 
(8)
 and 
(10)(b)
, the election officer shall, no later than one day before the 
day on which the qualified political party holds the convention to select a nominee 
for the elective office to which the signature packets relate, notify the qualified 
political party and the lieutenant governor of the name of each member of the 
qualified political party who qualifies as a nominee of the qualified political party, 
under this section, for the elective office to which the convention relates.
(d)
Upon receipt of a notice of intent to gather signatures for candidacy described in this 
section, the lieutenant governor shall post the notice of intent to gather signatures for 
candidacy on the lieutenant governor's website in the same location that the 
lieutenant governor posts a declaration of candidacy.
Section 4, Section 
20A-9-502
 is amended to read:
20A-9-502. Certificate of nomination -- Contents -- Circulation -- Verification -- 
Criminal penalty -- Removal of petition signature.
(1)
The candidate shall:
(a)
prepare a certificate of nomination in substantially the following form:
"State of Utah, County of ______________________________________________
I, ______________, declare my intention of becoming an unaffiliated candidate for the 
political group designated as ____ for the office of ____. I do solemnly swear that I can 
qualify to hold that office both legally and constitutionally if selected, and that I reside at ____ 
Street, in the city of ____, county of ____, state of ______, zip code ____, phone ____, and 
that I am providing, or have provided, the required number of holographic signatures of 
registered voters required by law; that as a candidate at the next election I will not knowingly 
violate any election or campaign law; that, if filing via a designated agent for an office other 
than president of the United States, I will be out of the state of Utah during the entire candidate 
filing period; I will file all campaign financial disclosure reports as required by law; and I 
understand that failure to do so will result in my disqualification as a candidate for this office 
and removal of my name from the ballot.
__________________________________________
Subscribed and sworn to before me this ______(month\day\year).
__________________________________________
Notary Public (or other officer
qualified to administer oaths)";
(b)
for each signature packet, bind signature sheets to a copy of the certificate of 
nomination and the circulator verification, that:
(i)
are printed on sheets of paper 8-1/2 inches long and 11 inches wide;
(ii)
are ruled with a horizontal line 3/4 inch from the top, with the space above that 
line blank for the purpose of binding;
(iii)
contain the name of the proposed candidate and the words "Unaffiliated 
Candidate Certificate of Nomination Petition" printed directly below the 
horizontal line;
(iv)
contain the word "Warning" printed directly under the words described in 
Subsection (1)(b)(iii);
(v)
contain, to the right of the word "Warning," the following statement printed in not less than 
eight-point, single leaded type:
"It is a class A misdemeanor for anyone to knowingly sign a certificate of nomination 
signature sheet with any name other than the person's own name or more than once for the 
same candidate or if the person is not registered to vote in this state and does not intend to 
become registered to vote in this state before the county clerk certifies the signatures.";
(vi)
contain the following statement directly under the statement described in Subsection 
(1)(b)(v):
"Each signer says:
I have personally signed this petition with a holographic signature;
I am registered to vote in Utah or intend to become registered to vote in Utah before the 
county clerk certifies my signature; and
My street address is written correctly after my name.";
(vii)
contain horizontally ruled lines, 3/8 inch apart under the statement described in 
Subsection (1)(b)(vi); and
(viii)
be vertically divided into columns as follows:
(A)
the first column shall appear at the extreme left of the sheet, be 5/8 inch wide, 
be headed with "For Office Use Only," and be subdivided with a light vertical 
line down the middle;
(B)
the next column shall be 2-1/2 inches wide, headed "Registered Voter's 
Printed Name (must be legible to be counted)";
(C)
the next column shall be 2-1/2 inches wide, headed "Holographic Signature of 
Registered Voter";
(D)
the next column shall be one inch wide, headed "Birth Date or Age 
(Optional)";
(E)
the final column shall be 4-3/8 inches wide, headed "Street Address, City, Zip 
Code"; and
(F)
at the bottom of the sheet, contain the following statement: "Birth date or age 
information is not required, but it may be used to verify your identity with 
voter registration records. If you choose not to provide it, your signature may 
not be certified as a valid signature if you change your address before petition 
signatures are certified or if the information you provide does not match your 
voter registration records."; and
(c)
bind a final page to one or more signature sheets that are bound together that contains, 
except as provided by Subsection (3), the following printed statement:
"Verification
State of Utah, County of ____
I, _______________, of ____, hereby state that:
I am at least 18 years old;
All the names that appear on the signature sheets bound to this page were signed by 
persons who professed to be the persons whose names appear on the signature sheets, and each 
of them signed the person's name on the signature sheets in my presence;
I believe that each has printed and signed the person's name and written the person's 
street address correctly, and that each signer is registered to vote in Utah or will register to 
vote in Utah before the county clerk certifies the signatures on the signature sheet.
______________________________________________________________________
(Signature) 
(Residence Address)
(Date)".
(2)
An agent designated to file a certificate of nomination under Subsection 
20A-9-503
(2)(b) or (4)(b) may not sign the form described in Subsection (1)(a).
(3)
(a)
The candidate shall circulate the nomination petition and ensure that the person in 
whose presence each signature sheet is signed:
(i)
is at least 18 years old; and
(ii)
verifies each signature sheet by completing the verification bound to one or more 
signature sheets that are bound together.
(b)
A person may not sign the circulator verification if the person signed a signature 
sheet bound to the verification.
(4)
(a)
It is unlawful for any person to:
(i)
knowingly sign a certificate of nomination signature sheet:
(A)
with any name other than the person's own name;
(B)
more than once for the same candidate; or
(C)
if the person is not registered to vote in this state and does not intend to 
become registered to vote in this state before the county clerk certifies the 
signatures; or
(ii)
sign the verification of a certificate of nomination signature sheet if the person:
(A)
has not witnessed the signing by those persons whose names appear on the 
certificate of nomination signature sheet; or
(B)
knows that a person whose signature appears on the certificate of nomination 
signature sheet is not registered to vote in this state and does not intend to 
become registered to vote in this state.
(b)
Any person violating this Subsection (4) is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
(5)
(a)
To qualify for placement on the general election ballot, the candidate shall, no 
earlier than the start of the declaration of candidacy period described in Section 
20A-9-201.5
 and no later than 5 p.m. on June 15 of the year in which the election 
will be held:
(i)
comply with Subsection 
20A-9-503
(1); and
(ii)
submit each signature packet to the county clerk where the majority of the 
signatures in the packet were collected, with signatures totaling:
(A)
at least 1,000 registered voters residing within the state when the nomination 
is for an office to be filled by the voters of the entire state; or
(B)
at least 300 registered voters residing within a political division or at least 5% 
of the registered voters residing within a political division, whichever is less, 
when the nomination is for an office to be filled by the voters of any political 
division smaller than the state.
(b)
A candidate has not complied with Subsection (5)(a)(ii), unless the county clerks 
verify that each required signature is a valid signature of a registered voter who is 
eligible to sign the signature packet and has not signed a signature packet to nominate 
another candidate for the same office.
(c)
In reviewing the signature packets, the county clerk shall count and certify only those 
persons who signed with a holographic signature, who:
(i)
are registered voters within the political division that the candidate seeks to 
represent; and
(ii)
did not sign any other certificate of nomination for that office.
(d)
The county clerk shall count and certify the number of registered voters who validly 
signed a signature packet, no later than 30 days after the day on which the candidate 
submits the signature packet.
(e)
The candidate may supplement the signatures or amend the certificate of nomination 
or declaration of candidacy at any time on or before 5 p.m. on June 15 of the year in 
which the election will be held.
(f)
The county clerk shall use the procedures described in Section 
20A-1-1002
 to 
determine whether a signer is a registered voter who is qualified to sign the signature 
packet.
(6)
Except as provided in Subsection (7), the county clerk shall, no later than five business 
days after the day on which the signature of a voter who signs a signature packet is 
verified under Subsection 
(5)(b)
, post the name, voter identification number, and date of 
signature of the voter on the lieutenant governor's website, in a conspicuous location 
designated by the lieutenant governor, for at least 90 days.
(6)
(7)
(a)
A
Except as provided in Subsection (8), a
 voter who signs a signature packet 
under this section may have the voter's signature removed from the signature packet 
by, no later than three business days after the day on which the candidate submits the 
signature packet to the county clerk, submitting to the county clerk a statement 
requesting that the voter's signature be removed.
(b)
A statement described in Subsection 
(6)(a)
(7)(a)
 shall comply with the 
requirements described in Subsection 
20A-1-1003
(2).
(c)
The county clerk shall use the procedures described in Subsection 
20A-1-1003
(3) to 
determine whether to remove an individual's signature from a signature packet after 
receiving a timely, valid statement requesting removal of the signature.
(8)
(a)
A county clerk may not remove a voter's signature from a petition packet if, 
before the date and time the county clerk receives the statement described in 
Subsection 
(7)(a)
, the county clerk verifies the voter's signature under Subsection 
(5)(b).
(b)
A county clerk who removes a voter's signature under Subsection 
(7)
 shall:
(i)
ensure that the voter's name, voter identification number, and date of signature are 
not included in the posting described in Subsection 
(6)
; and
(ii)
remove the voter's signature from the nomination petition and the nomination 
petition signature totals.
Section 5. 
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on 
May 7, 2025
.
1-30-25 3:34 PM