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, 2 costs, 10 mixed.
Easier petition signing for disabled voters
Beginning May 6, 2026, qualifying voters can use “AV” instead of a signature on paper initiative and referendum petitions. This applies to statewide and local petitions. The voter must have an ADA-covered disability that prevents completing the sheet or signing their name consistently. Officials check the voter’s identity through an alternate process.
Official notices keep petition signers informed
Beginning January 1, 2027, election officers must email eligible initiative signers whose voter records contain valid email addresses. Notices are due within two business days after the county clerk finds the signer eligible. They identify the initiative and link to the petition, proposed law, fiscal impact statement, and signature-removal deadline information. Beginning July 1, 2027, clerks must report valid or invalid petition-signature decisions within two business days. They email signers with an address on file and text those with a mobile number and consent to official texts.
Pay limits for petition signature gatherers
Beginning May 6, 2026, paid initiative and referendum signature gathering must be paid by the hour. Gatherers cannot accept pay that violates this rule, and the law sets no hourly rate. Nomination petition gatherers can be paid by the hour or for each valid signature. Paying someone to sign a nomination petition remains unlawful.
Training and tracking rules for petition gatherers
Beginning May 6, 2026, petition gatherers must finish state-provided online training on petition rules, disability access, electronic signing, and penalties. Each packet must end with a completed circulator verification sheet containing sworn statements; political-party registration petitions use this sheet too. Clerks must reject packets with incomplete sheets or statements that required training was not completed. Statewide manual referendum packets need assigned, sequential numbers starting at the range’s lowest number, binding, and no more than 50 signature sheets. Incorrectly numbered packets cannot be circulated or submitted. Before local manual initiative gathering, sponsors need a county-assigned number range and a local-clerk agreement on format and numbering; the county records the range.
Information and reading checks for electronic signers
Beginning May 6, 2026, electronic initiative signing shows the petition and proposed law on successive screens. Signers must state that they read and understand the displayed information before moving forward. The process must also show fiscal impacts, whether gatherers may be paid, signer statements, and warnings. Signers then choose whether to continue.
New identity checks for petition signers
Beginning May 6, 2026, referendum signers can leave their birth date or age blank. Without it, address changes or information that differs from voter records can prevent validation. Beginning July 1, 2027, clerks must accept signatures meeting the matching rules from voters registered in the relevant area. If name-and-address matching fails, a matching birth date or age, substantially similar name, and substantially similar signature are sufficient. The rules allow specified minor spelling and given-name changes, but not mismatched initials or middle names.
Clear tax disclosures for local initiative voters
Beginning May 6, 2026, sponsors of local tax-increase initiatives must add clear disclosures to the application and petition. They must name the tax, show the percentage difference in its rate, and show the resulting percentage increase in the current rate. The disclosure must use bold type of at least 14 points. This informs voters about a proposed tax increase; it does not itself raise taxes.
More paper packet choices for initiative sponsors
Beginning May 6, 2026, initiative sponsors can use traditional paper packets, condensed packets, or both. Statewide sponsors must identify their chosen formats in their agreement with the lieutenant governor’s office. Sponsors and agents no longer need to attach a separate copy of the proposed law to each initiative petition. Local manual initiative packets must contain the required parts in order, be bound, and include the proposition information pamphlet. Each such packet can contain no more than 50 signature sheets.
More paper packet choices for referendum sponsors
Beginning May 6, 2026, referendum sponsors can use traditional paper packets, condensed packets, or both. Traditional packets include a copy of the challenged law. Condensed statewide signature sheets need a QR code linking directly to the law on the lieutenant governor’s website. Condensed local packets need a QR code linking to the full law on the local clerk’s website, with an explanatory notice. Both local packet types must include the proposition information pamphlet.
Paper petition signers acknowledge a reading opportunity
Beginning May 6, 2026, paper initiative and referendum signers state that they had a chance to read the packet statement. They no longer state that they personally read the entire statement. Statewide initiative signers also acknowledge a chance to read and understand the proposed law, rather than claiming they did so. Sponsors must ensure the person present tells each signer about the chance to review the proposed or challenged law before signing.
Public petition records and counting safeguards
Beginning May 6, 2026, county clerks certify whether each listed statewide initiative or referendum signer is a legal voter. Public website records show the voter’s name, voter identification number, and certification date instead of the signing date. People handling signature sheets cannot hide or make unreadable signing dates or other information used for verification. Clerks cannot certify initiative or referendum signatures dated after the applicable packet-submission deadline.
Short summaries and links for initiative signers
Beginning May 6, 2026, condensed initiatives that do not raise taxes need a sponsor-written, plain-language summary of the main changes. It must use no more than 50 words and bold type of at least 14 points. Condensed statewide signature sheets need a QR code at the top linking directly to the lieutenant governor’s initiative webpage. A nearby bold notice, at least 8-point type, must explain access to the full proposed law. Initiative sheets also need required rows and columns, QR-link explanations covering fiscal and legal impacts and warnings, and optional birth-date or age fields. Omitting birth date or age can prevent validation when addresses change or supplied information differs from voter records.
Sponsor contacts and current initiative information
Beginning May 6, 2026, statewide initiative and local initiative or referendum applications must name a sponsor contact. Applications must include that person’s name, home address, phone number, and email address. Local initiative applications must also say whether signature gatherers may be paid. The lieutenant governor must promptly update online statewide initiative information when it changes, including changes to the proposed law.
Sponsor email duties change for initiative signatures
Beginning May 6, 2026, initiative sponsors must email signers who supplied a valid, readable email address before delivering their packet. Emails must include the initiative title and links to the petition, proposed law, fiscal impact statement, and signature-removal deadline information. Sponsors must file the email, recipient-and-date list, and signed verification by 5 p.m. on the last packet-submission day. Statewide sponsors file with the lieutenant governor; local sponsors file with the local clerk, and failure to comply invalidates signatures. Beginning January 1, 2027, the statewide sponsor email, list, verification, and related signature-validity requirements are repealed.
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/ uncircled
Yes: 0 • No: 0
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 • 2/23/2026
Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation
Yes: 5 • No: 0
Senate vote • 2/23/2026
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
Yes: 4 • No: 1
House vote • 2/12/2026
House/ substitute adoption failed
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 2/12/2026
House/ passed 3rd reading
Yes: 56 • No: 11
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