Download Zipped Enrolled WordPerfect HB0126.ZIP
[Introduced][Status][Bill Documents][Fiscal Note] [Bills Directory]

H.B. 126 Enrolled

             1     

ELECTION LAW - BALLOT PROPOSITION

             2     
AMENDMENTS

             3     
2008 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Christine A. Johnson

             6     
Senate Sponsor: Margaret Dayton

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill modifies ballot proposition numbering requirements under the Election Code.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    modifies definitions;
             14          .    requires that the certified ballot titles of ballot propositions or ballot questions be
             15      submitted to the election officer before a set time before each election;
             16          .    requires that proposed constitutional amendments appearing on a ballot be identified
             17      by a letter of the alphabet;
             18          .    provides that bond issues on the ballot are identified by a title as provided according
             19      to procedures in Title 11, Chapter 14, Local Government Bonding Act;
             20          .    requires that all state and local ballot propositions, including opinion questions, state
             21      and local initiatives, state and local referendums, and other ballot issues appearing on
             22      the ballot, be identified by a unique number assigned by the lieutenant governor;
             23          .    provides that numbers for ballot propositions be assigned by the lieutenant governor
             24      in the order that each number request is received;
             25          .    provides procedures for determining whether similar ballot issues should be assigned
             26      the same number;
             27          .    eliminates duplicate references; and
             28          .    makes technical changes.
             29      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:


             30          None
             31      Other Special Clauses:
             32          None
             33      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             34      AMENDS:
             35          20A-1-102, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapters 75, 256, 285, and 329
             36          20A-6-301, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2006, Chapter 326
             37          20A-6-303, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 198
             38          20A-6-304, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 198
             39          20A-6-402, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 75
             40          20A-7-103, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 238
             41          20A-7-209, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2005, Chapter 236
             42          20A-7-308, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2001, Chapters 57, 65, and 169
             43          20A-7-508, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 27
             44          20A-7-608, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 27
             45      ENACTS:
             46          20A-6-106, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             47          20A-6-107, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             48     
             49      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             50          Section 1. Section 20A-1-102 is amended to read:
             51           20A-1-102. Definitions.
             52          As used in this title:
             53          (1) "Active voter" means a registered voter who has not been classified as an inactive
             54      voter by the county clerk.
             55          (2) "Automatic tabulating equipment" means apparatus that automatically examines and
             56      counts votes recorded on paper ballots or ballot sheets and tabulates the results.
             57          (3) "Ballot" means the storage medium, whether paper, mechanical, or electronic, upon


             58      which a voter records his votes and includes ballot sheets, paper ballots, electronic ballots, and
             59      secrecy envelopes.
             60          (4) "Ballot sheet":
             61          (a) means a ballot that:
             62          (i) consists of paper or a card where the voter's votes are marked or recorded; and
             63          (ii) can be counted using automatic tabulating equipment; and
             64          (b) includes punch card ballots, and other ballots that are machine-countable.
             65          (5) "Ballot label" means the cards, papers, booklet, pages, or other materials that
             66      contain the names of offices and candidates and statements of ballot propositions to be voted on
             67      and which are used in conjunction with ballot sheets that do not display that information.
             68          (6) "Ballot proposition" means a question, issue, or proposal that is submitted to voters
             69      on the ballot for their approval or rejection including:
             70          (a) an opinion [questions] question specifically authorized by the Legislature[,];
             71          (b) a constitutional [amendments, initiatives, referenda, and] amendment;
             72          (c) an initiative;
             73          (d) a referendum;
             74          (e) a bond proposition;
             75          (f) a judicial retention [questions that are submitted to the voters for their approval or
             76      rejection] question; or
             77          (g) any other ballot question.
             78          (7) "Board of canvassers" means the entities established by Sections 20A-4-301 and
             79      20A-4-306 to canvass election returns.
             80          (8) "Bond election" means an election held for the purpose of approving or rejecting the
             81      proposed issuance of bonds by a government entity.
             82          (9) "Book voter registration form" means voter registration forms contained in a bound
             83      book that are used by election officers and registration agents to register persons to vote.
             84          (10) "By-mail voter registration form" means a voter registration form designed to be
             85      completed by the voter and mailed to the election officer.


             86          (11) "Canvass" means the review of election returns and the official declaration of
             87      election results by the board of canvassers.
             88          (12) "Canvassing judge" means a poll worker designated to assist in counting ballots at
             89      the canvass.
             90          (13) "Convention" means the political party convention at which party officers and
             91      delegates are selected.
             92          (14) "Counting center" means one or more locations selected by the election officer in
             93      charge of the election for the automatic counting of ballots.
             94          (15) "Counting judge" means a poll worker designated to count the ballots during
             95      election day.
             96          (16) "Counting poll watcher" means a person selected as provided in Section
             97      20A-3-201 to witness the counting of ballots.
             98          (17) "Counting room" means a suitable and convenient private place or room,
             99      immediately adjoining the place where the election is being held, for use by the poll workers and
             100      counting judges to count ballots during election day.
             101          (18) "County executive" has the meaning as provided in Subsection 68-3-12 (2).
             102          (19) "County legislative body" has the meaning as provided in Subsection 68-3-12 (2).
             103          (20) "County officers" means those county officers that are required by law to be
             104      elected.
             105          (21) "Election" means a regular general election, a municipal general election, a
             106      statewide special election, a local special election, a regular primary election, a municipal
             107      primary election, and a local district election.
             108          (22) "Election Assistance Commission" means the commission established by Public
             109      Law 107-252, the Help America Vote Act of 2002.
             110          (23) "Election cycle" means the period beginning on the first day persons are eligible to
             111      file declarations of candidacy and ending when the canvass is completed.
             112          (24) "Election judge" means a poll worker that is assigned to:
             113          (a) preside over other poll workers at a polling place;


             114          (b) act as the presiding election judge; or
             115          (c) serve as a canvassing judge, counting judge, or receiving judge.
             116          (25) "Election officer" means:
             117          (a) the lieutenant governor, for all statewide ballots;
             118          (b) the county clerk or clerks for all county ballots and for certain ballots and elections
             119      as provided in Section 20A-5-400.5 ;
             120          (c) the municipal clerk for all municipal ballots and for certain ballots and elections as
             121      provided in Section 20A-5-400.5 ;
             122          (d) the local district clerk or chief executive officer for certain ballots and elections as
             123      provided in Section 20A-5-400.5 ; and
             124          (e) the business administrator or superintendent of a school district for certain ballots or
             125      elections as provided in Section 20A-5-400.5 .
             126          (26) "Election official" means any election officer, election judge, or poll worker.
             127          (27) "Election results" means, for bond elections, the count of those votes cast for and
             128      against the bond proposition plus any or all of the election returns that the board of canvassers
             129      may request.
             130          (28) "Election returns" includes the pollbook, all affidavits of registration, the military
             131      and overseas absentee voter registration and voting certificates, one of the tally sheets, any
             132      unprocessed absentee ballots, all counted ballots, all excess ballots, all unused ballots, all spoiled
             133      ballots, the ballot disposition form, and the total votes cast form.
             134          (29) "Electronic ballot" means a ballot that is recorded using a direct electronic voting
             135      device or other voting device that records and stores ballot information by electronic means.
             136          (30) (a) "Electronic voting device" means a voting device that uses electronic ballots.
             137          (b) "Electronic voting device" includes a direct recording electronic voting device.
             138          (31) "Inactive voter" means a registered voter who has been sent the notice required by
             139      Section 20A-2-306 and who has failed to respond to that notice.
             140          (32) "Inspecting poll watcher" means a person selected as provided in this title to
             141      witness the receipt and safe deposit of voted and counted ballots.


             142          (33) "Judicial office" means the office filled by any judicial officer.
             143          (34) "Judicial officer" means any justice or judge of a court of record or any county
             144      court judge.
             145          (35) "Local district" means a local government entity under Title 17B, Limited Purpose
             146      Local Government Entities - Local Districts, and includes a special service district under Title
             147      17A, Chapter 2, Part 13, Utah Special Service District Act.
             148          (36) "Local district officers" means those local district officers that are required by law
             149      to be elected.
             150          (37) "Local election" means a regular municipal election, a local special election, a local
             151      district election, and a bond election.
             152          (38) "Local political subdivision" means a county, a municipality, a local district, or a
             153      local school district.
             154          (39) "Local special election" means a special election called by the governing body of a
             155      local political subdivision in which all registered voters of the local political subdivision may
             156      vote.
             157          (40) "Municipal executive" means:
             158          (a) the city council or town council in the traditional management arrangement
             159      established by Title 10, Chapter 3, Part 1, Governing Body;
             160          (b) the mayor in the council-mayor optional form of government defined in Section
             161      10-3-101 ; and
             162          (c) the manager in the council-manager optional form of government defined in Section
             163      10-3-101 .
             164          (41) "Municipal general election" means the election held in municipalities and local
             165      districts on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd-numbered year for
             166      the purposes established in Section 20A-1-202 .
             167          (42) "Municipal legislative body" means:
             168          (a) the city council or town council in the traditional management arrangement
             169      established by Title 10, Chapter 3, Part 1, Governing Body;


             170          (b) the municipal council in the council-mayor optional form of government defined in
             171      Section 10-3-101 ; and
             172          (c) the municipal council in the council-manager optional form of government defined in
             173      Section 10-3-101 .
             174          (43) "Municipal officers" means those municipal officers that are required by law to be
             175      elected.
             176          (44) "Municipal primary election" means an election held to nominate candidates for
             177      municipal office.
             178          (45) "Official ballot" means the ballots distributed by the election officer to the poll
             179      workers to be given to voters to record their votes.
             180          (46) "Official endorsement" means:
             181          (a) the information on the ballot that identifies:
             182          (i) the ballot as an official ballot;
             183          (ii) the date of the election; and
             184          (iii) the facsimile signature of the election officer; and
             185          (b) the information on the ballot stub that identifies:
             186          (i) the poll worker's initials; and
             187          (ii) the ballot number.
             188          (47) "Official register" means the official record furnished to election officials by the
             189      election officer that contains the information required by Section 20A-5-401 .
             190          (48) "Paper ballot" means a paper that contains:
             191          (a) the names of offices and candidates and statements of ballot propositions to be
             192      voted on; and
             193          (b) spaces for the voter to record his vote for each office and for or against each ballot
             194      proposition.
             195          (49) "Political party" means an organization of registered voters that has qualified to
             196      participate in an election by meeting the requirements of Title 20A, Chapter 8, Political Party
             197      Formation and Procedures.


             198          (50) (a) "Poll worker" means a person assigned by an election official to assist with an
             199      election, voting, or counting votes.
             200          (b) "Poll worker" includes election judges.
             201          (c) "Poll worker" does not include a watcher.
             202          (51) "Pollbook" means a record of the names of voters in the order that they appear to
             203      cast votes.
             204          (52) "Polling place" means the building where voting is conducted.
             205          (53) "Position" means a square, circle, rectangle, or other geometric shape on a ballot in
             206      which the voter marks his choice.
             207          (54) "Provisional ballot" means a ballot voted provisionally by a person:
             208          (a) whose name is not listed on the official register at the polling place;
             209          (b) whose legal right to vote is challenged as provided in this title; or
             210          (c) whose identity was not sufficiently established by a poll worker.
             211          (55) "Provisional ballot envelope" means an envelope printed in the form required by
             212      Section 20A-6-105 that is used to identify provisional ballots and to provide information to
             213      verify a person's legal right to vote.
             214          (56) "Primary convention" means the political party conventions at which nominees for
             215      the regular primary election are selected.
             216          (57) "Protective counter" means a separate counter, which cannot be reset, that is built
             217      into a voting machine and records the total number of movements of the operating lever.
             218          (58) "Qualify" or "qualified" means to take the oath of office and begin performing the
             219      duties of the position for which the person was elected.
             220          (59) "Receiving judge" means the poll worker that checks the voter's name in the
             221      official register, provides the voter with a ballot, and removes the ballot stub from the ballot
             222      after the voter has voted.
             223          (60) "Registration form" means a book voter registration form and a by-mail voter
             224      registration form.
             225          (61) "Regular ballot" means a ballot that is not a provisional ballot.


             226          (62) "Regular general election" means the election held throughout the state on the first
             227      Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year for the purposes
             228      established in Section 20A-1-201 .
             229          (63) "Regular primary election" means the election on the fourth Tuesday of June of
             230      each even-numbered year, at which candidates of political parties and nonpolitical groups are
             231      voted for nomination.
             232          (64) "Resident" means a person who resides within a specific voting precinct in Utah.
             233          (65) "Sample ballot" means a mock ballot similar in form to the official ballot printed
             234      and distributed as provided in Section 20A-5-405 .
             235          (66) "Scratch vote" means to mark or punch the straight party ticket and then mark or
             236      punch the ballot for one or more candidates who are members of different political parties.
             237          (67) "Secrecy envelope" means the envelope given to a voter along with the ballot into
             238      which the voter places the ballot after he has voted it in order to preserve the secrecy of the
             239      voter's vote.
             240          (68) "Special election" means an election held as authorized by Section 20A-1-204 .
             241          (69) "Spoiled ballot" means each ballot that:
             242          (a) is spoiled by the voter;
             243          (b) is unable to be voted because it was spoiled by the printer or a poll worker; or
             244          (c) lacks the official endorsement.
             245          (70) "Statewide special election" means a special election called by the governor or the
             246      Legislature in which all registered voters in Utah may vote.
             247          (71) "Stub" means the detachable part of each ballot.
             248          (72) "Substitute ballots" means replacement ballots provided by an election officer to
             249      the poll workers when the official ballots are lost or stolen.
             250          (73) "Ticket" means each list of candidates for each political party or for each group of
             251      petitioners.
             252          (74) "Transfer case" means the sealed box used to transport voted ballots to the
             253      counting center.


             254          (75) "Vacancy" means the absence of a person to serve in any position created by
             255      statute, whether that absence occurs because of death, disability, disqualification, resignation, or
             256      other cause.
             257          (76) "Valid voter identification" means:
             258          (a) a form of identification that bears the name and photograph of the voter which may
             259      include:
             260          (i) a currently valid Utah driver license;
             261          (ii) a currently valid identification card that is issued by:
             262          (A) the state;
             263          (B) a local government within the state; or
             264          (C) a branch, department, or agency of the United States;
             265          (iii) an identification card that is issued by an employer for an employee;
             266          (iv) a currently valid identification card that is issued by a college, university, technical
             267      school, or professional school that is located within the state;
             268          (v) a currently valid Utah permit to carry a concealed weapon;
             269          (vi) a currently valid United States passport; or
             270          (vii) a valid tribal identification card; or
             271          (b) two forms of identification that bear the name of the voter and provide evidence that
             272      the voter resides in the voting precinct, which may include:
             273          (i) a voter identification card;
             274          (ii) a current utility bill or a legible copy thereof;
             275          (iii) a bank or other financial account statement, or a legible copy thereof;
             276          (iv) a certified birth certificate;
             277          (v) a valid Social Security card;
             278          (vi) a check issued by the state or the federal government or a legible copy thereof;
             279          (vii) a paycheck from the voter's employer, or a legible copy thereof;
             280          (viii) a currently valid Utah hunting or fishing license;
             281          (ix) a currently valid United States military identification card;


             282          (x) certified naturalization documentation;
             283          (xi) a currently valid license issued by an authorized agency of the United States;
             284          (xii) a certified copy of court records showing the voter's adoption or name change;
             285          (xiii) a Bureau of Indian Affairs card;
             286          (xiv) a tribal treaty card;
             287          (xv) a valid Medicaid card, Medicare card, or Electronic Benefits Transfer Card; or
             288          (xvi) a form of identification listed in Subsection (76)(a) that does not contain a
             289      photograph, but establishes the name of the voter and provides evidence that the voter resides in
             290      the voting precinct.
             291          (77) "Valid write-in candidate" means a candidate who has qualified as a write-in
             292      candidate by following the procedures and requirements of this title.
             293          (78) "Voter" means a person who meets the requirements for voting in an election,
             294      meets the requirements of election registration, is registered to vote, and is listed in the official
             295      register book.
             296          (79) "Voter registration deadline" means the registration deadline provided in Section
             297      20A-2-102.5 .
             298          (80) "Voting area" means the area within six feet of the voting booths, voting machines,
             299      and ballot box.
             300          (81) "Voting booth" means:
             301          (a) the space or compartment within a polling place that is provided for the preparation
             302      of ballots, including the voting machine enclosure or curtain; or
             303          (b) a voting device that is free standing.
             304          (82) "Voting device" means:
             305          (a) an apparatus in which ballot sheets are used in connection with a punch device for
             306      piercing the ballots by the voter;
             307          (b) a device for marking the ballots with ink or another substance;
             308          (c) an electronic voting device or other device used to make selections and cast a ballot
             309      electronically, or any component thereof;


             310          (d) an automated voting system under Section 20A-5-302 ; or
             311          (e) any other method for recording votes on ballots so that the ballot may be tabulated
             312      by means of automatic tabulating equipment.
             313          (83) "Voting machine" means a machine designed for the sole purpose of recording and
             314      tabulating votes cast by voters at an election.
             315          (84) "Voting poll watcher" means a person appointed as provided in this title to witness
             316      the distribution of ballots and the voting process.
             317          (85) "Voting precinct" means the smallest voting unit established as provided by law
             318      within which qualified voters vote at one polling place.
             319          (86) "Watcher" means a voting poll watcher, a counting poll watcher, an inspecting poll
             320      watcher, and a testing watcher.
             321          (87) "Western States Presidential Primary" means the election established in Title 20A,
             322      Chapter 9, Part 8.
             323          (88) "Write-in ballot" means a ballot containing any write-in votes.
             324          (89) "Write-in vote" means a vote cast for a person whose name is not printed on the
             325      ballot according to the procedures established in this title.
             326          Section 2. Section 20A-6-106 is enacted to read:
             327          20A-6-106. Deadline for submission of ballot titles.
             328          Unless otherwise specifically provided for by statute, the certified ballot title of each
             329      ballot proposition, ballot question, or ballot issue shall be submitted to the election officer no
             330      later than 60 days before the date of the election at which the matter will be submitted to the
             331      voters.
             332          Section 3. Section 20A-6-107 is enacted to read:
             333          20A-6-107. Numbering of ballot propositions and bond propositions -- Duties of
             334      election officer and lieutenant governor.
             335          (1) (a) Except as provided in Subsections (1)(b) and (1)(c), each ballot proposition shall
             336      be listed on the ballot under the heading "Proposition #___", with the number of the ballot
             337      proposition placed in the blank.


             338          (b) Each proposed amendment to the Utah Constitution shall be listed on the ballot
             339      under the heading "Constitutional Amendment ___", with a letter placed in the blank.
             340          (c) Each bond proposition that has qualified for the ballot shall be listed on the ballot
             341      under the title assigned to each bond proposition under Section 11-14-206 .
             342          (2) (a) When an election officer or other person given authority to prepare or number
             343      ballot propositions receives a ballot proposition that is eligible for inclusion on the ballot, they
             344      shall ask the lieutenant governor to assign a number to the ballot proposition.
             345          (b) (i) Upon request from an election officer or other person given authority to prepare
             346      or number ballot propositions, the lieutenant governor shall assign each ballot proposition a
             347      unique number, except as provided under Subsection (2)(b)(iii).
             348          (ii) Ballot proposition numbers shall be assigned sequentially, in the order requests for
             349      ballot proposition numbers are received.
             350          (iii) The same ballot proposition number may be assigned to multiple ballot propositions
             351      if:
             352          (A) the sponsors of each ballot proposition agree, in writing, to share the number; and
             353          (B) the ballot propositions sharing the same number are identical in their terms,
             354      purpose, and effect, with jurisdiction being the only significant difference between the ballot
             355      propositions.
             356          Section 4. Section 20A-6-301 is amended to read:
             357           20A-6-301. Paper ballots -- Regular general election.
             358          (1) Each election officer shall ensure that:
             359          (a) all paper ballots furnished for use at the regular general election contain no captions
             360      or other endorsements except as provided in this section;
             361          (b) (i) the paper ballot contains a ballot stub at least one inch wide, placed across the
             362      top of the ballot, and divided from the rest of ballot by a perforated line;
             363          (ii) the ballot number and the words " Poll Worker's Initial ____" are printed on the
             364      stub; and
             365          (iii) ballot stubs are numbered consecutively;


             366          (c) immediately below the perforated ballot stub, the following endorsements are
             367      printed in 18-point bold type:
             368          (i) "Official Ballot for ____ County, Utah";
             369          (ii) the date of the election; and
             370          (iii) a facsimile of the signature of the county clerk and the words "county clerk";
             371          (d) each ticket is placed in a separate column on the ballot in the order determined by
             372      the election officer with the party emblem, followed by the party name, at the head of the
             373      column;
             374          (e) the party name or title is printed in capital letters not less than 1/4 of an inch high;
             375          (f) a circle 1/2 inch in diameter is printed immediately below the party name or title, and
             376      the top of the circle is placed not less than two inches below the perforated line;
             377          (g) unaffiliated candidates and candidates not affiliated with a registered political party
             378      are listed in one column, without a party circle, with the following instructions printed at the
             379      head of the column: "All candidates not affiliated with a political party are listed below. They
             380      are to be considered with all offices and candidates listed to the left. Only one vote is allowed
             381      for each office.";
             382          (h) the columns containing the lists of candidates, including the party name and device,
             383      are separated by heavy parallel lines;
             384          (i) the offices to be filled are plainly printed immediately above t