UtahH.B. 3612026 General SessionHouseWALLET

Elections Provisions Amendments

Sponsored By: Lisa Shepherd (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Election LawVoting and Voter RegistrationGovernment Operations (State Issues)Election AdministrationLieutenant GovernorPolitical PartiesNotice Requirements

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

23 provisions identified: 15 benefits, 2 costs, 6 mixed.

Illegal state seal use brings felony

Illegally using or defacing Utah’s Great Seal is a third-degree felony. The law places custody of the seal with the lieutenant governor and allows the Director of Elections to set seal-use rules.

Advance notices for military and overseas voters

Beginning May 6, 2026, election officers must meet notice requirements for covered military and overseas elections at least 100 calendar days beforehand. They must meet a separate set of requirements by the last business day at least 45 calendar days before the election. Any different timing in the referenced military and overseas voting rules takes priority.

Ballots stop displaying election officials’ names

Beginning January 1, 2027, ballots and return envelopes cannot display election officers’ or county clerks’ names as officials. Officials can still appear on ballots as candidates. Ballot certifications use the election officer’s title instead of a name, including on municipal ballots. Return envelopes must retain the officer’s title and post office address.

Clerks must promptly remove deceased voters

Beginning May 6, 2026, county clerks must remove deceased voters from the register within five business days after receiving confirmation. Confirmation can come from state vital records, the lieutenant governor, Social Security Administration data, or another reliable source clearly identifying the deceased voter.

Election reports use updated reporting methods

Officials calculate the reported ballot-count ratio by dividing ballots counted by active voters as of the Friday before election day. Election-day registrants are no longer added to that denominator; their ballots are not excluded by this reporting change. Officials can publish cast vote records in structured text when equipment cannot produce an accurate required spreadsheet or delimited file. This option now applies beyond instant-runoff elections.

General election voters get coordinated notices

In even-numbered years, the lieutenant governor must publish 30-calendar-day candidate and statewide ballot-question notices by August’s last business day. County 30-day notices include relevant races, county and school board candidates, ballot names, and local ballot questions. County publication starts no earlier than the first business day at least two calendar days after receipt, and by September’s second business day. Districts must send candidate lists by August’s last business day and publish 30-day notices starting on the earlier of the first business day at least two calendar days after sending or September’s second business day. County election notices must run from at least 32 calendar days before the election through election day; district notices also run through election day. A contracted county clerk may publish district notices, and the district need not send a separate general-election candidate notice.

Local candidates get set filing windows

Municipal candidate filing starts at 8 a.m. on June’s first business day. It ends at 5 p.m. on the fourth business day after opening, or the next business day if that day is Friday. Special districts use that municipal window for municipal general elections and the same June timing for regular general elections. Districts with four-day workweeks of at least eight hours daily use their standard office hours for in-person filing. Other districts must offer at least three consecutive filing hours each eligible day, excluding weekends and holidays.

Local voters get advance election notices

Beginning May 6, 2026, municipal election officers must publish class A public notices at least 32 calendar days before primary and general elections. Special districts must also publish general-election notices and primary notices when holding a primary that year. Notices must stay available through election day. County clerks may publish and combine notices when a municipality or district hires the county to run the election.

Local voters get candidate filing notices

Municipalities and special districts must announce offices up for election and candidate filing periods, using the applicable election notice rules. In odd-numbered years, they must send office lists to affected county clerks by February’s first business day. They must publish class A notices for 30 calendar days by May’s first business day. Within two business days after municipal candidate filing closes, municipal officials must send primary candidate lists and publish 30-day notices. District clerks have that same duty when their district holds a qualifying primary.

Local voters get election cancellation notices

Beginning May 6, 2026, municipalities that cancel elections must notify relevant counties and the lieutenant governor’s office. The same rule covers special districts canceling elections in odd-numbered years. They must publish a class A public notice no earlier than the day after the municipal write-in filing deadline and no later than 32 calendar days before the general election. The website posting and published notice must each remain available for at least 15 calendar days before election day.

Pilot elections follow standard municipal rules

Municipal Alternate Voting Methods Pilot Project elections now follow ordinary municipal candidate filing and nomination-petition rules, with remaining statutory exceptions. Standard municipal paper and machine ballot requirements also apply to the pilot’s instant-runoff races. Officials must apply the covered rules for declaring winners, nominees, and ties.

Primary voters get published candidate lists

County clerks must publish primary candidate information within two business days after receiving the lieutenant governor’s notice, for 30 calendar days. It includes relevant races and ballot names but excludes candidates unopposed in the regular primary. In even-numbered years, districts holding qualifying primaries must send candidate lists by the first Wednesday after April’s fourth Saturday. Districts must also publish those candidate notices for 30 calendar days. County and qualifying district primary election notices must run from at least 32 calendar days before the election through election day. When more than two candidates file for one local school board seat, clerks must include them on the required candidate list.

Utah checks voter lists against death records

Beginning May 6, 2026, the lieutenant governor must share received Social Security Administration death records with county clerks. Ninety calendar days before each primary and general election, the office must compare death records against the official voter register. The comparison uses state vital records, Social Security Administration data, and other reliable sources to ensure deceased voters have been removed.

Voters get published local candidate lists

Beginning May 6, 2026, municipal and special district clerks must send county clerks qualified candidates, by office, for municipal general-election ballots. Municipal officers must also send qualified local ballot measures. Both must publish candidate lists as class A public notices for 30 calendar days. The deadline is the later of the last business day in August of an odd-numbered year or two business days after the relevant primary recount results are certified. County clerks must also include qualified-party nominees chosen through signature gathering in their required published candidate information.

Voters get updated early voting locations

Beginning May 6, 2026, officials must provide early voting dates, times, locations, and updates through listed websites, phone numbers, and addresses. Changed or added locations must be announced as soon as reasonably possible. Officials must post notices at new locations and, when possible, at old locations. The law removes the former class A notice requirement at least 28 days before the election.

Voters see running mates together

Beginning May 6, 2026, candidates campaigning as joint-ticket running mates must appear together as one ticket on the ballot. This covers governor and lieutenant governor candidates, and president and vice president candidates.

Party candidates face filing and disclosure deadlines

Candidates from registered parties that are not qualified parties must file in January instead of under the former April deadline. In even-numbered election years, filing runs from 8 a.m. on January’s first business day through 5 p.m. on its fifth. Unaffiliated and write-in candidates follow separate rules. In general election years, parties must certify presidential tickets, or authorize national certification, by August’s last business day; vice-presidential declarations are due then too. Statewide constitutional candidates must file financial statements before their political conventions.

Candidates can request familiar ballot names

Candidates can request ballot name variations known in their county, including middle names, initials, name order, surnames, suffixes, and nicknames. Written requests are due by 5 p.m. on the last day of candidate filing. Maiden names, spouses’ surnames, and parents’ or stepparents’ surnames require sworn statements. Uncommon nicknames require sworn statements from the candidate and five county residents who are not immediate family. Officials must reject uncommon nicknames that misidentify candidates, promote slogans or group or issue associations, use offensive or title-like terms, or seek unfair advantage.

Congressional candidates face special 2026 rules

For 2026, qualified-party U.S. representative candidates must collect 7,000 signatures from registered Utah voters eligible for that party’s primary. Notices of intent open at 8 a.m. on January’s first business day; notices and signatures are due March 13, 2026, at 5 p.m. Candidates seeking qualified-party nominations for Utah constitutional, multicounty, or county offices can also gather signatures for Congress. They must withdraw from the other race before filing their congressional declaration. This dual-candidacy exception ends December 31, 2026.

Party nomination rules cover more candidates

Qualified-party rules now include federal and statewide constitutional candidates filing through the two covered nomination routes. A party cannot hold a primary when exactly one candidate qualifies through either route and none through the other. That candidate goes directly to the regular general election ballot. A primary is required when at least two candidates qualify through the signature route and none through convention nomination. It is also required when two candidates are convention nominees and none qualifies through signatures.

Senate vacancies follow new election deadlines

These rules cover Utah Senate vacancies after filing closes in even-numbered years when the seat’s term does not expire. Before August’s last business day, the lieutenant governor must set a filing deadline within 21 calendar days after the vacancy. That deadline must precede sending the required information to county clerks. Party liaisons can submit candidate names by 5 p.m. on August’s second-to-last business day. Vacancies occurring on or after August’s last business day are filled by the governor for the remaining term.

Uncontested local elections can be canceled

Municipalities and special districts can cancel an election only when it has no contested races or ballot questions. Their governing bodies must adopt resolutions during the statutory cancellation period; uncontested candidates are then elected. Officials can no longer cancel just one race. For even-year district cancellations, boards must notify affected counties and arrange statewide voter-website posting and class A publication. Notice must come after the write-in deadline and at least 32 calendar days before the general election, with posting and publication each lasting at least 15 calendar days before that election.

Voters get mail ballot transition notices

Each mailed ballot must include a separate paper notice. For November 5, 2025–December 31, 2028, it includes identification warnings and explains that mailed ballots require requests starting in 2029. Beginning January 1, 2029, the notice includes the mailed-ballot identification warning. Address-change forms must ask for consent to receive ballot updates and official messages by text. By November 5, 2025, those forms must also offer a choice between mailed ballots and in-person voting.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

Lisa Shepherd
Republican • House

Cosponsors

Ronald M. Winterton
Republican • Senate

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 189 • No: 1

Senate vote • 3/6/2026

Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension

Yes: 27 • No: 0

Senate vote • 3/6/2026

Senate/ substituted

Yes: 0 • No: 0

House vote • 3/6/2026

House/ concurs with Senate amendment

Yes: 63 • No: 1

Senate vote • 3/3/2026

Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation

Yes: 6 • No: 0