Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 423 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Lee, Trevor

Final action

House/ filed 3/7/2025

Outcome

Failed / filed without passage

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• defines terms; and
• creates a process for an individual to receive a voter registration form and voter registration information when purchasing a hunting or fishing license.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

11
20A-2-102.5
20A-2-208
20A-2-301
20A-2-304
20A-2-506
Voting Registration Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Trevor Lee
Senate Sponsor: 
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill addresses provisions related to voter registration.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
defines terms;
enables an individual to register or preregister to vote when purchasing a hunting or 
fishing license; and
requires a county clerk to provide copies of the voter registration form to Division of 
Wildlife Resources offices in the county.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
20A-2-102.5
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 45
20A-2-301
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapter 31
20A-2-304
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2022, Chapter 156
20A-2-506
, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2023, Chapter 297
ENACTS:
20A-2-208
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
20A-2-102.5
 is amended to read:
20A-2-102.5. Voter registration deadline.
(1)
Except as otherwise provided in 
Chapter 16, Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act
, 
an individual who fails to timely submit a correctly completed voter registration form 
may not vote in the election.
(2)
The voter registration deadline is as follows:
(a)
the voter registration must be received by the county clerk, the municipal clerk, or 
the lieutenant governor no later than 5 p.m. 11 calendar days before the date of the 
election, if the individual registers to vote:
(i)
at the office of the county clerk, in accordance with Section 
20A-2-201
;
(ii)
by mail, in accordance with Section 
20A-2-202
;
(iii)
via an application for a driver license, in accordance with Section 
20A-2-204
;
(iv)
via a public assistance agency or a discretionary voter registration agency, in 
accordance with Section 
20A-2-205
;
 or
(v)
via electronic registration, in accordance with Section 
20A-2-206
;
 or
(vi)
via purchasing a hunting or fishing license from the Division of Wildlife 
Resources, in accordance with Section 
20A-2-208
;
(b)
before the polls close on the last day of early voting, described in Section 
20A-3a-601
, 
if the individual registers by casting a provisional ballot at an early voting location in 
accordance with Section 
20A-2-207
; or
(c)
before polls close on the date of the election, if the individual registers to vote on the 
date of the election by casting a provisional ballot, in accordance with Section 
20A-2-207
.
Section 2, Section 
20A-2-208
 is enacted to read:
20A-2-208. Registering to vote when purchasing a hunting or fishing license.
(1)
As used in this section, "applicant" means an individual seeking to purchase a hunting 
or fishing license who is eligible to register to vote under Section 
20A-2-101
 or 
preregister to vote under Section 
20A-2-101.1
.
(2)
An applicant may register or preregister to vote when purchasing a hunting or fishing 
license at a Division of Wildlife Resources office.
(3)
Each Division of Wildlife Resources office shall provide to applicants, either as part of 
existing forms or on a separate form, the following information in substantially the 
following form:
"REGISTERING TO VOTE
If you are not registered to vote where you live now, would you like to apply to 
register or preregister to vote here today? Yes____ No____ IF YOU DO NOT CHECK 
EITHER BOX, YOU WILL BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE DECIDED NOT TO 
REGISTER OR PREREGISTER TO VOTE AT THIS TIME. If you would like help in 
filling out the voter registration form, we will help you. The decision about whether to 
seek or accept help is yours. You may fill out the application form in private. If you 
believe that someone has interfered with your right to register or preregister or to decline 
to register or preregister to vote, your right to privacy in deciding whether to register or 
preregister, or in applying to register or preregister to vote, or your right to choose your 
own political party or other political preference, you may file a complaint with the 
Office of the Lieutenant Governor, State Capitol Building, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114. 
(The phone number of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor)."
(4)
Unless an applicant declines to register or preregister to vote, each Division of Wildlife 
Resources office shall:
(a)
distribute a voter registration form to every applicant;
(b)
assist applicants in completing the voter registration form unless the applicant 
refuses assistance;
(c)
accept completed forms for transmittal to the appropriate election official; and
(d)
transmit a copy of each voter registration form to the appropriate election official 
within five days after the day on which the Division of Wildlife Resources office 
receives the voter registration form.
(5)
An employee of the Division of Wildlife Resources who helps an applicant complete 
the voter registration form may not:
(a)
seek to influence an applicant's political preference or party registration;
(b)
display any political preference or party allegiance; or
(c)
make any statement to an applicant or take any action that has the purpose or effect 
of discouraging the applicant from registering to vote.
(6)
If the county clerk receives a correctly completed voter registration form under this 
section no later than 5 p.m. 11 calendar days before the date of an election, the county 
clerk shall:
(a)
accept and process the voter registration form;
(b)
unless the applicant named in the form is preregistering to vote:
(i)
enter the applicant's name on the list of registered voters for the voting precinct in 
which the individual resides; and
(ii)
notify the applicant that the applicant is registered to vote in the upcoming 
election; and
(c)
if the applicant named in the form is preregistering to vote, comply with Section 
20A-2-101.1
.
(7)
If the county clerk receives a correctly completed voter registration form after the 
deadline described in Subsection 
(6)
, the county clerk shall:
(a)
accept the application for registration of the applicant; and
(b)
except as provided in Subsection 
20A-2-207(6)
, if possible, promptly inform the 
applicant that the applicant will not be registered to vote in the pending election, 
unless the applicant registers to vote by provisional ballot during the early voting 
period, if applicable, or on election day, in accordance with Section 
20A-2-207
.
(8)
If the county clerk determines that a voter registration form received from a Division of 
Wildlife Resources office is incorrect because of an error or because the voter 
registration form is incomplete, the county clerk shall provide notice to the applicant 
attempting to register or preregister to vote, stating that the applicant has not been 
registered or preregistered to vote because of an error or because the voter registration 
form is incomplete.
(9)
The Division of Wildlife Resources shall provide a link to the state's online voter 
registration application to each applicant who purchases a hunting or fishing license on 
the Internet.
Section 3, Section 
20A-2-301
 is amended to read:
20A-2-301. County clerk responsibilities -- Voter registration forms.
(1)
Each county clerk shall provide voter registration forms for use in the voter registration 
process.
(2)
(a)
Each county clerk shall provide a copy of the voter registration form to each 
public assistance agency and discretionary voter registration agency.
(b)
Each county clerk shall provide a copy of the voter registration form to each 
Division of Wildlife Resources office in the county.
(b)
(c)
Each county clerk may provide a copy of the voter registration form to public 
school districts and nonpublic schools as provided in Section 
20A-2-302
.
(3)
(a)
The clerk shall make a copy of the voter registration form available to any person 
upon request.
(b)
A person may make multiple copies of the voter registration form at the person's own 
expense.
(c)
A person shall provide all completed voter registration forms in the person's 
possession to the county clerk at or before 5 p.m. on the day of the voter registration 
deadline.
(4)
The county clerk may not refuse to register an individual to vote for failing to provide a 
telephone number on the voter registration form.
(5)
(a)
It is unlawful for any person in possession of a completed voter registration form, 
other than the person's own completed voter registration form, to willfully fail or 
refuse to timely deliver the completed voter registration form to the county clerk.
(b)
A person who violates this Subsection 
(5)
 is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.
Section 4, Section 
20A-2-304
 is amended to read:
20A-2-304. County clerk's responsibilities -- Notice of disposition.
Each county clerk shall:
(1)
register to vote each individual who meets the requirements for registration and who:
(a)
submits a completed voter registration form to the county clerk;
(b)
submits a completed voter registration form, as defined in Section 
20A-2-204
, to the 
Driver License Division;
(c)
submits a completed voter registration form to a public assistance agency or a 
discretionary voter registration agency; 
(d)
submits a completed voter registration form to a Division of Wildlife Resources 
office; 
or
(d)
(e)
mails a completed voter registration form to the county clerk; and
(2)
within 30 days after the day on which the county clerk processes a voter registration 
form, send a notice to the individual who submits the form that:
(a)
(i)
informs the individual that the individual's voter registration form has been 
accepted and that the individual is registered to vote;
(ii)
informs the individual of the procedure for designating or changing the 
individual's political affiliation;
(iii)
informs the individual of the procedure to cancel a voter registration;
(iv)
provides instructions to the voter on how the voter may sign up to receive 
electronic ballot status notifications via the ballot tracking system described in 
Section 
20A-3a-401.5
; and
(v)
confirms that the individual has chosen to receive electronic ballot status 
notifications if the individual opted to receive electronic ballot status notifications 
on the voter registration form;
(b)
informs the individual that the individual's voter registration form has been rejected 
and the reason for the rejection; or
(c)
(i)
informs the individual that the individual's voter registration form is being 
returned to the individual for further action because the form is incomplete; and
(ii)
gives instructions to the individual on how to properly complete the form.
Section 5, Section 
20A-2-506
 is amended to read:
20A-2-506. Lieutenant governor and county clerks to preserve records.
(1)
As used in this section:
(a)
"Voter registration record" means a record concerning the implementation of 
programs and activities conducted for the purpose of ensuring that the official 
register is accurate and current.
(b)
"Voter registration record" does not include a record that:
(i)
relates to a person's decision to decline to register to vote; or
(ii)
identifies the particular public assistance agency, discretionary voter registration 
agency,
 Division of Wildlife Resources office,
 or Driver License Division through 
which a particular voter registered to vote.
(2)
The lieutenant governor and each county clerk shall:
(a)
preserve for at least two years all records relating to voter registration, including:
(i)
the official register; and
(ii)
the name and address of each individual to whom the notice required by Section 
20A-2-505
 was sent and a notation regarding whether the individual responded to 
the notice;
(b)
make a voter registration record available for public inspection, except for a voter 
registration record, or part of a voter registration record that is classified as private 
under Section 
63G-2-302
; and
(c)
allow a record or part of a record described in Subsection 
(2)(b)
 that is not classified 
as a private record to be photocopied for a reasonable cost.
(3)
The lieutenant governor shall take, and store for at least 22 months, a static copy of the 
official register made at the following times:
(a)
the voter registration deadline described in Subsection 
20A-2-102.5(2)(a)
;
(b)
the day of the election; and
(c)
the last day of the canvass.
Section 6. 
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on 
May 7, 2025
.
2-5-25 3:07 PM