All Roll Calls
Yes: 193 • No: 19
UtahH.B. 322026 General SessionHouseWALLET
Signature Gathering and Verification Amendments
Sponsored By: Paul A. Cutler (Republican)
Signed by Governor
Election LawInitiativesGovernment Operations (State Issues)Election AdministrationLieutenant GovernorReferenda
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
14 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 4 costs, 8 mixed.
New device rules and signer rights
Beginning May 6, 2026, approved devices for initiative signing show step‑by‑step screens. You attest you read the title and full text, see any tax‑increase notice, see fiscal and printing costs, and learn if gatherers are paid. The device warns your name, voter ID, and date will be public; you choose yes to sign or no to stop. Statewide and local sponsors must also declare before gathering whether signatures will be manual, electronic, or both, and local referendum applications must say if gatherers may be paid. People with a qualifying disability may direct the circulator to write “AV” as their signature on paper petitions. The law also removes criminal guilt for a signer solely for making the one specific false statement named in the statute.
Stronger anti-fraud rules for petitions
Beginning May 6, 2026, it is a class A misdemeanor to sign for someone else, sign more than once, falsify dates, sign if not a legal voter, misuse “AV,” enter false information, or sign a false verification. You may not alter sheets to hide dates or change packets after filing. Clerks may not certify signatures with no date, late dates, or when packets are not properly verified.
Packet setup and numbering for sponsors
Beginning May 6, 2026, sponsors must bind packets in a set order and include no more than 50 signature sheets. You must get packet numbers from the lieutenant governor and number packets in order. The final page must be the circulator verification sheet. A clerk must reject a packet if that sheet is incomplete or the circulator reports they did not finish training. Sponsors must pay for all required printing.
New rules for paid signature gatherers
Beginning May 6, 2026, you must finish the state’s online training before collecting any petition signatures. If you are paid, you must wear a visible badge that shows a unique ID, the petition title, “Paid Signature Gatherer,” and who pays you. You must show signers a printed page with a direct web link and give them time to read it. Paying per signature is banned; pay must be hourly. Sponsors must ensure every person who gathers signatures completed the training.
New steps to start a referendum
Beginning May 6, 2026, a referendum application must list at least five sponsors with home addresses, name a liaison, say if gatherers may be paid, include notarized sponsor signatures, and attach the law. After sponsors sign the number‑range agreement, the lieutenant governor must deliver the petition and a signature sheet by the first business day at least five calendar days later.
Signature thresholds for statewide initiatives
Beginning May 6, 2026, to send an initiative to the Legislature, sponsors must collect valid signatures equal to 4% of active voters statewide and 4% in at least 26 Senate districts. To put an initiative on the ballot, sponsors must collect 8% statewide and 8% in at least 26 districts. Active voters are counted as of January 1 after the last general election.
Candidate signature rules and deadlines
Beginning May 6, 2026, a candidate may not collect nomination signatures until filing a declaration of candidacy. Paper forms are standardized: 8.5×11 sheets, a clear caption, a bold class A misdemeanor warning, ten lines, set columns, and an allowed photo. Each packet binds the signature sheets to the certificate and the circulator verification page, uses handwritten signatures, and includes required headers and warnings. To qualify, submit by 5 p.m. on June 15 to the county clerk where most signatures were gathered; statewide offices need at least 1,000 signatures, and other offices need at least 300 or 5% of registered voters, whichever is less. Clerks certify counts within 30 days, and candidates may add signatures until 5 p.m. on June 15. Fraudulent nomination signing is a class A misdemeanor, and a voter may ask the clerk to remove their signature by 5 p.m. three business days after the packet is filed.
Electronic nomination petitions and model forms
Beginning May 6, 2026, the lieutenant governor provides an electronic nomination petition form with required fields and a warning about class A misdemeanor violations. The office also publishes model nomination‑petition forms and instructions. Petition circulators must be at least 18 years old and may affiliate with any party.
Electronic signing steps and privacy warning
Beginning May 6, 2026, approved devices must show the petition intro, full text, funding sources and their percentages, whether taxes would rise, the fiscal statement, and whether gatherers may be paid. A signer must confirm they read the material, are registered, and are signing personally. The device must warn that the signer’s name, voter ID, and date will be public, even if the registration is private.
Faster checks and emails to signers
Beginning May 6, 2026, county clerks have 21 days to verify petition signatures and must post names, voter IDs, and dates; statewide totals must be certified within seven days after posting. Before filing packets, sponsors must email people who wrote a valid email and then give proof by 5:00 p.m. the day they file the last packet. Beginning January 1, 2027, an election officer emails verified signers within two business days with links and removal steps. Beginning July 1, 2027, clerks email or text signers within two business days to say if a signature is valid or invalid, when contact details and consent exist.
Fiscal statements and funding disclosures required
Beginning May 6, 2026, initiative applications must explain how the proposal is funded, list funding sources and percentages, show any tax increases, and identify cuts or new revenues. The lieutenant governor sends the application to the fiscal analyst within three business days. The analyst sends a 100‑word (plus per‑source words) fiscal statement within 25 days, or a short standard sentence if impact is very low. Three or more sponsors may ask a court to fix errors within 20 days under a high proof standard. The lieutenant governor posts the application, text, fiscal statement, and how to remove a signature within one business day. Local initiatives must also list funding sources and their percentages.
Rules to start a political party
Beginning May 6, 2026, party organizers may circulate petitions only after the statewide canvass and must stop by 5 p.m. on November 30 the year before the next general election. They must file at least 2,000 handwritten signatures by 5 p.m. on November 30 in the general‑election year. Petitions use 8.5×11 ruled sheets with a warning, a cover page (party name up to four words, emblem, and filing officer), and the circulator verification as the last page. The lieutenant governor checks signers, reviews the name and emblem, and certifies findings within 30 days; if not distinguishable, a new name or emblem is due in seven days. Parties may not change their registered name or emblem during the regular general‑election cycle. Fraudulent party‑petition signing is a class A misdemeanor, and a voter may ask to remove their signature within three business days after filing.
Standard petition packets and numbering rules
Beginning May 6, 2026, paper initiative and referendum packets follow one standard format. Initiative packets must be bound at the top, include the pamphlet, and have no more than 50 signature sheets. Referendum sheets must be 8.5×11 inches with set columns, a second‑row statement, and a bold 12‑point warning about crimes and optional birth date or age. Every packet ends with the same circulator verification page. Sponsors must get a packet‑number range from the county clerk, number packets in order, and may not circulate or file packets that are numbered any other way.
Standard petition sheets and bold notices
Beginning May 6, 2026, paper sheets must be 8.5x11 inches, show the title in bold 14‑point type, and use the required columns and attestation. Condensed packets must include a QR code linking to the full text. If an initiative raises taxes, sheets must show a bold 14‑point tax‑increase notice. For non‑tax condensed packets, a plain‑language summary up to 50 words is required. If the fiscal statement is over 200 words, a 200‑word summary must be used on sheets.
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Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Paul A. Cutler
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Ronald M. Winterton
Republican • Senate
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 3/5/2026
House/ concurs with Senate amendment
Yes: 70 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/4/2026
Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
Yes: 22 • No: 7
Senate vote • 2/26/2026
Senate/ passed 2nd reading
Yes: 20 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/26/2026
Senate/ circled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/26/2026
Senate/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 2/23/2026
Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation
Yes: 5 • No: 0
House vote • 2/23/2026
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Yes: 4 • No: 1
House vote • 2/12/2026
House/ passed 3rd reading
Yes: 56 • No: 11
House vote • 2/12/2026
House/ substitute adoption failed
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 2/3/2026
House Comm - Substitute Recommendation
Yes: 8 • No: 0
House vote • 2/3/2026
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Yes: 8 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Governor Signed
3/23/2026House/ to Governor
3/12/2026HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
3/12/2026HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
3/11/2026HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
3/11/2026Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
3/6/2026Bill Received from House for Enrolling
3/6/2026House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
3/5/2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
3/5/2026HouseSenate/ to House
3/5/2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
3/5/2026SenateSenate/ received from House
3/5/2026SenateHouse/ to Senate
3/5/2026HouseHouse/ concurs with Senate amendment
3/5/2026HouseHouse/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
3/5/2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
3/5/2026HouseSenate/ to House with amendments
3/4/2026SenateSenate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
3/4/2026SenateSenate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
3/4/2026SenateSenate/ 3nd Reading Calendar to Rules
3/4/2026SenateSenate/ placed on 3rd Reading Calendar table
2/26/2026SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
2/26/2026SenateSenate/ passed 2nd reading
2/26/2026SenateSenate/ uncircled
2/26/2026SenateSenate/ circled
2/26/2026Senate
Bill Text
Enrolled
3/11/2026
Substitute #3
2/17/2026
Substitute #2
2/12/2026
Substitute #1
2/2/2026
Introduced
12/5/2025
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