S.B. 135

             1     

VOTER REGISTRATION AMENDMENTS

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Scott K. Jenkins

             5     
House Sponsor: ____________

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill amends provisions of the Election Code relating to voter registration.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    provides that an individual who registers to vote, in-person or online, fifteen or
             13      more days before an election may participate in early voting or may vote on election
             14      day;
             15          .    provides that an individual who registers to vote online seven or more days before
             16      an election may vote on election day;
             17          .    provides that, if an individual timely fills out and submits a voter registration form
             18      to a registration drive coordinator who then submits the registration form late, the
             19      individual may vote in the election if, within six days after the day of the election,
             20      the individual establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that the individual
             21      filled out and provided the registration to the registration drive coordinator before
             22      the filing deadline; and
             23          .    makes technical and conforming amendments.
             24      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             25          None
             26      Other Special Clauses:
             27          None


             28      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             29      AMENDS:
             30           20A-2-201 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapters 225 and 276
             31           20A-2-206 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 17
             32           20A-4-107 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 390
             33     
             34      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             35          Section 1. Section 20A-2-201 is amended to read:
             36           20A-2-201. Registering to vote at office of county clerk.
             37          (1) Except as provided in Subsection (3), the county clerk shall register to vote [all
             38      persons who present themselves for registration] each individual who registers in person at the
             39      county clerk's office during designated office hours if [those persons] the individual will, on the
             40      date of the election, [will] be legally eligible to vote in a voting precinct in the county in
             41      accordance with Section 20A-2-101 .
             42          (2) [If a registration form is submitted] If an individual submits a registration form in
             43      person at the office of the county clerk during the period beginning on the date after the voter
             44      registration deadline and ending on the date that is 15 calendar days before the date of the
             45      election, the county clerk shall:
             46          (a) accept a registration [forms from all persons who present themselves for
             47      registration] form from each individual who submits a registration form in person at the clerk's
             48      office during designated office hours if [those persons] the individual, on the date of the
             49      election, will be legally qualified and entitled to vote in a voting precinct in the county; and
             50          (b) inform [them] the individual that[:] the individual will be registered to vote in the
             51      pending election.
             52          [(i) they will be registered to vote in the pending election; and]
             53          [(ii) for the pending election, they must vote on the day of the election and will not be
             54      eligible to vote using early voting under Chapter 3, Part 6, Early Voting, because they
             55      registered too late.]
             56          [(3) If a registration form is submitted to the county clerk on the date of the election or
             57      during the 14 calendar days before an election, the county clerk shall:]
             58          [(a) accept registration forms from all persons who present themselves for registration


             59      at the clerk's office during designated office hours if those persons, on the date of the election,
             60      will be legally qualified and entitled to vote in a voting precinct in the county; and]
             61          [(b) inform them that they will be registered to vote but may not vote in the pending
             62      election because they registered too late.]
             63          (3) If an individual who will be legally qualified and entitled to vote in a voting
             64      precinct in the county on the date of an election appears in person, during designated office
             65      hours, and submits a registration form on the date of the election or during the 14 calendar days
             66      before an election, the county clerk shall:
             67          (a) accept the registration form; and
             68          (b) (i) if it is more than seven calendar days before the date of an election:
             69          (A) inform the individual that, if the individual registers to vote online under Section
             70      20A-2-206 before the seven-day deadline described in Section 20A-2-206 , the individual may
             71      vote in the pending election; or
             72          (B) if the individual does not register to vote online under Section 20A-2-206 , that the
             73      individual will be registered to vote but may not vote in the pending election because the
             74      individual registered too late; or
             75          (ii) if it is on the date of an election or during the seven calendar days before an
             76      election, inform the individual that the individual will be registered to vote but may not vote in
             77      the pending election because the individual registered too late.
             78          Section 2. Section 20A-2-206 is amended to read:
             79           20A-2-206. Electronic registration -- Requests for absentee ballot application.
             80          (1) The lieutenant governor may create and maintain an electronic system for voter
             81      registration and requesting an absentee ballot that is publicly available on the Internet.
             82          (2) An electronic system for voter registration shall require:
             83          (a) that an applicant have a valid driver license or identification card, issued under Title
             84      53, Chapter 3, Uniform Driver License Act, that reflects the person's current principal place of
             85      residence;
             86          (b) that the applicant provide the information required by Section 20A-2-104 , except
             87      that the applicant's signature may be obtained in the manner described in Subsections (2)(d)
             88      and (4);
             89          (c) that the applicant attest to the truth of the information provided; and


             90          (d) that the applicant authorize the lieutenant governor's and county clerk's use of the
             91      applicant's driver license or identification card signature, obtained under Title 53, Chapter 3,
             92      Uniform Driver License Act, for voter registration purposes.
             93          (3) Notwithstanding Section 20A-2-104 , an applicant using the electronic system for
             94      voter registration created under this section is not required to complete a printed registration
             95      form.
             96          (4) A system created and maintained under this section shall provide the notices
             97      concerning a voter's presentation of identification contained in Subsection 20A-2-104 (1).
             98          (5) The lieutenant governor shall obtain a digital copy of the applicant's driver license
             99      or identification card signature from the Driver License Division.
             100          (6) Upon receiving all information from an applicant and the Driver License Division,
             101      the lieutenant governor shall send the information to the county clerk for the county in which
             102      the applicant's principal place of residence is found for further action as required by Section
             103      20A-2-304 .
             104          (7) The lieutenant governor may use additional security measures to ensure the
             105      accuracy and integrity of an electronically submitted voter registration.
             106          (8) (a) If an individual applies to register under this section during the period beginning
             107      on the date after the voter registration deadline and ending on the date that is [15] seven
             108      calendar days before the date of an election, the county clerk shall:
             109          (i) accept the application for registration if the individual, on the date of the election,
             110      will be legally qualified and entitled to vote in a voting precinct in the state; and
             111          (ii) inform the individual that:
             112          (A) the individual is registered to vote in the pending election; and
             113          (B) for the pending election, the individual must vote on the day of the election and is
             114      not eligible to vote using early voting under Chapter 3, Part 6, Early Voting, because the
             115      individual registered too late.
             116          (b) If an individual applies to register under this section during the [14] six calendar
             117      days before an election, the county clerk shall:
             118          (i) accept the application for registration if the individual, on the date of the election,
             119      will be legally qualified and entitled to vote in a voting precinct in the state; and
             120          (ii) inform the individual that the individual is registered to vote but may not vote in


             121      the pending election because the individual registered too late.
             122          (9) (a) A registered voter may file an application for an absentee ballot in accordance
             123      with Section 20A-3-304 on the electronic system for voter registration established under this
             124      section.
             125          (b) The lieutenant governor shall provide a means by which a registered voter shall
             126      sign the application form as provided in Section 20A-3-304 .
             127          Section 3. Section 20A-4-107 is amended to read:
             128           20A-4-107. Review and disposition of provisional ballot envelopes.
             129          (1) As used in this section, a person is "legally entitled to vote" if:
             130          (a) the person:
             131          (i) is registered to vote in the state;
             132          (ii) votes the ballot for the voting precinct in which the person resides; and
             133          (iii) provided valid voter identification to the poll worker;
             134          (b) the person:
             135          (i) is registered to vote in the state;
             136          (ii) (A) provided valid voter identification to the poll worker; or
             137          (B) either failed to provide valid voter identification or the documents provided as
             138      valid voter identification were inadequate and the poll worker recorded that fact in the official
             139      register but the county clerk verifies the person's identity and residence through some other
             140      means; and
             141          (iii) did not vote in the person's precinct of residence, but the ballot that the person
             142      voted was from the person's county of residence and includes one or more candidates or ballot
             143      propositions on the ballot voted in the person's precinct of residence; or
             144          (c) the person:
             145          (i) is registered to vote in the state;
             146          (ii) either failed to provide valid voter identification or the documents provided as
             147      valid voter identification were inadequate and the poll worker recorded that fact in the official
             148      register; and
             149          (iii) (A) the county clerk verifies the person's identity and residence through some other
             150      means as reliable as photo identification; or
             151          (B) the person provides valid voter identification to the county clerk or an election


             152      officer who is administering the election by the close of normal office hours on Monday after
             153      the date of the election.
             154          (2) (a) Upon receipt of provisional ballot envelopes, the election officer shall review
             155      the affirmation on the face of each provisional ballot envelope and determine if the person
             156      signing the affirmation is:
             157          (i) registered to vote in this state; and
             158          (ii) legally entitled to vote:
             159          (A) the ballot that the person voted; or
             160          (B) if the ballot is from the person's county of residence, for at least one ballot
             161      proposition or candidate on the ballot that the person voted.
             162          (b) If the election officer determines that the person is not registered to vote in this
             163      state or is not legally entitled to vote in the county or for any of the ballot propositions or
             164      candidates on the ballot that the person voted, the election officer shall retain the ballot
             165      envelope, unopened, for the period specified in Section 20A-4-202 unless ordered by a court to
             166      produce or count it.
             167          (c) If the election officer determines that the person is registered to vote in this state
             168      and is legally entitled to vote in the county and for at least one of the ballot propositions or
             169      candidates on the ballot that the person voted, the election officer shall remove the ballot from
             170      the provisional ballot envelope and place the ballot with the absentee ballots to be counted with
             171      those ballots at the canvass.
             172          (d) The election officer may not count, or allow to be counted a provisional ballot
             173      unless the person's identity and residence is established by a preponderance of the evidence.
             174          (3) If the election officer determines that the person is registered to vote in this state,
             175      the election officer shall ensure that the voter registration records are updated to reflect the
             176      information provided on the provisional ballot envelope.
             177          (4) If the election officer determines that the person is not registered to vote in this
             178      state and the information on the provisional ballot envelope is complete, the election officer
             179      shall:
             180          (a) consider the provisional ballot envelope a voter registration form for the person's
             181      county of residence; and
             182          (b) (i) register the person if the voter's county of residence is within the county; or


             183          (ii) forward the voter registration form to the election officer of the person's county of
             184      residence, which election officer shall register the person.
             185          (5) Notwithstanding any provision of this section, the election officer shall remove the
             186      ballot from a provisional ballot envelope and place the ballot with the absentee ballots to be
             187      counted with those ballots at the canvass, if:
             188          (a) the election officer determines, in accordance with the provisions of this section,
             189      that the sole reason a provisional ballot may not otherwise be counted is because the voter
             190      registration was filed late;
             191          (b) the late filing was made due to a registration drive coordinator filing a voter's
             192      registration, other than the registration drive coordinator's registration, after the filing deadline;
             193      and
             194          (c) within six days after the day of the election, the voter establishes to the election
             195      officer, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the voter filled out and provided the
             196      registration to the registration drive coordinator before the filing deadline.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 11-14-13 12:36 PM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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