Section 1. Section 20A-9-403 is amended to read:20A-9-403. Regular primary elections.(1)(a)Candidates for elective office that are to be filled at the next regular general election shall be nominated in a regular primary election by direct vote of the people in the manner prescribed in this section. The regular primary election is held on the date specified in Section 20A-1-201.5. Nothing in this section shall affect a candidate's ability to qualify for a regular general election's ballot as an unaffiliated candidate under Section 20A-9-501 or to participate in a regular general election as a write-in candidate under Section 20A-9-601.(b)Each registered political party that chooses to have the names of the registered political party's candidates for elective office featured with party affiliation on the ballot at a regular general election shall comply with the requirements of this section and shall nominate the registered political party's candidates for elective office in the manner described in this section.(c)A filing officer may not permit an official ballot at a regular general election to be produced or used if the ballot denotes affiliation between a registered political party or any other political group and a candidate for elective office who is not nominated in the manner prescribed in this section or in Subsection 20A-9-202(4).(d)Unless noted otherwise, the dates in this section refer to those that occur in each even-numbered year in which a regular general election will be held.(2)(a)Each registered political party, in a statement filed with the lieutenant governor, shall:(i)either declare the registered political party's intent to participate in the next regular primary election or declare that the registered political party chooses not to have the names of the registered political party's candidates for elective office featured on the ballot at the next regular general election; and(ii)if the registered political party participates in the upcoming regular primary election, identify one or more registered political parties whose members may vote for the registered political party's candidates and whether individuals identified as unaffiliated with a political party may vote for the registered political party's candidates.(b)(i)A registered political party that is a continuing political party shall file the statement described in Subsection (2)(a) with the lieutenant governor no later than 5 p.m. on November 30 of each odd-numbered year.(ii)An organization that is seeking to become a registered political party under Section 20A-8-103 shall file the statement described in Subsection (2)(a) at the time that the registered political party files the petition described in Section 20A-8-103.(3)(a)Except as provided in Subsection (3)(e), an individual who submits a declaration of candidacy under Section 20A-9-202 shall appear as a candidate for elective office on the regular primary ballot of the registered political party listed on the declaration of candidacy only if the individual is certified by the appropriate filing officer as having submitted a nomination petition that was:(i)circulated and completed in accordance with Section 20A-9-405; and(ii)signed by at least 2% of the registered political party's members who reside in the political division of the office that the individual seeks.(b)(i)A candidate for elective office shall, in accordance with Section 20A-9-408.3, submit signatures for a nomination petition to the appropriate filing officer for verification and certification no later than 5 p.m. on March 31.(ii)A candidate may supplement the candidate's submissions at any time on or before the filing deadline.(c)(i)The lieutenant governor shall determine for each elective office the total number of signatures that must be submitted under Subsection (3)(a)(ii) or 20A-9-408(8) by counting the aggregate number of individuals residing in each elective office's political division who have designated a particular registered political party on the individuals' voter registration forms on or before November 15 of each odd-numbered year.(ii)The lieutenant governor shall publish the determination for each elective office no later than November 30 of each odd-numbered year.(d)The filing officer shall:(i)except as otherwise provided in Section 20A-21-201, and in accordance with Section 20A-9-408.3, verify signatures on nomination petitions in a transparent and orderly manner, no later than 14 calendar days after the day on which a candidate submits the signatures to the filing officer;(ii)for all qualifying candidates for elective office who submit nomination petitions to the filing officer, issue certifications referencedeach qualifying candidate for elective office who submits a nomination petition to the filing officer, issue the certification described in Subsection (3)(a) no later than the deadline described in Subsection 20A-9-202(1)(b);(iii)consider active and inactive voters eligible to sign nomination petitionsan active voter and inactive voter eligible to sign a nomination petition;(iv)consider an individual who signs a nomination petition a member of a registered political party for purposes of Subsection (3)(a)(ii) if the individual has designated thatthe registered political party as the individual's party membership on the individual's voter registration form; and(v)except as otherwise provided in Section 20A-21-201 and with the assistance of the county clerk as applicable, use the procedures described in Section 20A-1-1002 to verify submitted nomination petition signatures, or use statistical sampling procedures to verify submitted nomination petition signatures in accordance with rules made under Subsection (3)(f).; and(vi)subject to Subsection 20A-9-405(11), no later than five business days after the day on which the signature of an individual who signs a nomination petition is verified under Subsection (3)(d)(v) or Section 20A-21-201, post the individual's name and date of signature on the lieutenant governor's website, in a conspicuous location designated by the lieutenant governor, for at least 90 calendar days after the date of the primary election.(e)Notwithstanding any other provision in this Subsection (3), a candidate for lieutenant governor may appear on the regular primary ballot of a registered political party without submitting nomination petitionsa nomination petition if the candidate files a declaration of candidacy and complies with Subsection 20A-9-202(3).(f)In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the director of elections, within the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, may make rules that:(i)provide for the use of statistical sampling procedures that:(A)filing officers area filing officer is required to use to verify signatures under Subsection (3)(d); and(B)reflect a bona fide effort to determine the validity of a candidate's entire submission, using widely recognized statistical sampling techniques; and(ii)provide for the transparent, orderly, and timely submission, verification, and certification of nomination petition signatures.(g)The county clerk shall:(i)review the declarations of candidacy filed by candidates for local boards of education to determine if more than two candidates have filed for the same seat;(ii)place the names of all candidates who have filed a declaration of candidacy for a local board of education seat on the nonpartisan section of the ballot if more than two candidates have filed for the same seat; and(iii)place the local board of education candidates' names on the ballot in accordance with Sections 20A-6-109 and 20A-6-110.(4)(a)Before the deadline described in Subsection 20A-9-409(4)(c), the lieutenant governor shall provide to the county clerkseach county clerk:(i)a list of the names of all candidates for federal, constitutional, multi-county, single county, and county offices who have received certifications under Subsection (3)(3)(a), along with instructions on how thosethe names shall appear on the primary election ballot in accordance with Sections 20A-6-109 and 20A-6-110; and(ii)a list of unopposed candidates for elective office who have been nominated by a registered political party under Subsection (5)(c) and instruct the county clerksinstructions to exclude the unopposed candidates from the primary election ballot.(b)A candidate for lieutenant governor and a candidate for governor campaigning as joint-ticket running mates shall appear jointly on the primary election ballot.(c)After the county clerk receives the certified list from the lieutenant governor under Subsection (4)(a), the county clerk shall post or publish a primary election notice in substantially the following form:"Notice is given that a primary election will be held Tuesday, June ____, ________(year), to nominate party candidates for the parties and candidates for nonpartisan local school board positions listed on the primary ballot. The polling place for voting precinct ____ is ____. The polls will open at 7 a.m. and continue open until 8 p.m. of the same day. Attest: county clerk."(5)(a)A candidate who, at the regular primary election, receives the highest number of votes cast for the office sought by the candidate is:(i)nominated for that office by the candidate's registered political party; or(ii)for a nonpartisan local school board position, nominated for that office.(b)If two or more candidates are to be elected to the office at the regular general election, those party candidates equal in number to positions to be filled who receive the highest number of votes at the regular primary election are the nominees of the candidates' party for those positions.(c)(i)As used in this Subsection (5)(c), a candidate is "unopposed" if:(A)no individual other than the candidate receives a certification under Subsection (3)(3)(a) for the regular primary election ballot of the candidate's registered political party for a particular elective office; or(B)for an office where more than one individual is to be elected or nominated, the number of candidates who receive certification under Subsection (3)(3)(a) for the regular primary election of the candidate's registered political party does not exceed the total number of candidates to be elected or nominated for that office.(ii)A candidate who is unopposed for an elective office in the regular primary election of a registered political party is nominated by the party for that office without appearing on the primary election ballot.(6)The expense of providing all ballots, blanks, or other supplies to be used at any primary election provided for by this section, and all expenses necessarily incurred in the preparation for or the conduct of that primary election shall be paid out of the treasury of the county or state, in the same manner as for the regular general elections.(7)An individual may not file a declaration of candidacy for a registered political party of which the individual is not a member, except to the extent that the registered political party permits otherwise under the registered political party's bylaws.

The following section is affected by a coordination clause at the end of this bill.

Section 2. Section 20A-9-405 is amended to read:20A-9-405. Nomination petitions for regular primary elections.(1)This section applies to the form and circulation of nomination petitions for regular primary elections described in Subsection 20A-9-403(3)(a) and Section 20A-9-408.(2)A candidate for elective office, and the agents of the candidate, may not circulate nomination petitions until the candidate has submitted a declaration of candidacy in accordance with Subsection 20A-9-202(1).(3)For the manual candidate qualification process, the nomination petitions shall be in substantially the following form:(a)the petition shall be printed on paper 8-1/2 inches long and 11 inches wide;(b)the petition shall be ruled with a horizontal line 3/4 inch from the top, with the space above that line blank for purposes of binding;(c)the petition shall be headed by a caption stating the purpose of the petition and the name of the proposed candidate;(d)the petition shall feature the word "Warning" followed by the following statement in no less than eight-point, single leaded type: "It is a class A misdemeanor for anyone to knowingly sign a nomination petition with any name other than the person's own name, or more than once for the same candidate, or if the person is not registered to vote in this state.";(e)the petition shall feature 10 lines spaced one-half inch apart and consecutively numbered one through 10;(f)the signature portion of the petition shall be divided into columns headed by the following titles:(i)Registered Voter's Printed Name;(ii)Signature of Registered Voter;(iii)Party Affiliation of Registered Voter;(iv)Birth Date or Age (Optional);(v)Street Address, City, Zip Code; and(vi)Date of Signature; and(g)a photograph of the candidate may appear on the nomination petition.(4)For the electronic candidate qualification process, the lieutenant governor shall design an electronic form, using progressive screens, that includes:(a)the following warning:"Warning: It is a class A misdemeanor for anyone to knowingly sign a nomination petition with any name other than the person's own name, or more than once for the same candidate, or if the person is not registered to vote in this state."; and(b)the following information for each individual who signs the petition:(i)name;(ii)party affiliation;(iii)date of birth or age, (optional);(iv)street address, city, zip code;(v)date of signature;(vi)other information required under Section 20A-21-201; and(vii)other information required by the lieutenant governor.(5)For the manual candidate qualification process, if one or more nomination petitions are bound together, a page shall be bound to the nomination petition(s) that features the following printed verification statement to be signed and dated by the petition circulator:"VerificationState of Utah, County of ____I, ____, of ____, hereby state that:I am at least 18 years old;All the names that appear on the signature sheets bound to this page were, to the best of my knowledge, signed by the persons who professed to be the persons whose names appear on the signature sheets, and each of them signed the person's name on the signature sheets in my presence;I believe that each has printed and signed the person's name and written the person's street address correctly, and that each signer is registered to vote in Utah."(6)The lieutenant governor shall prepare and make public model nomination petition forms and associated instructions.(7)A nomination petition circulator:(a)must be at least 18 years old; and(b)may affiliate with any political party.(8)It is unlawful for any person to:(a)knowingly sign the nomination petition described in this section or Section 20A-9-408:(i)with any name other than the person's own name;(ii)more than once for the same candidate; or(iii)if the person is not registered to vote in this state;(b)sign the verification of a signature for a nomination petition if the person:(i)has not witnessed the signing by those persons whose names appear on the nomination petition; or(ii)knows that a person whose signature appears on the nomination petition is not registered to vote in this state;(c)pay compensation to any person to sign a nomination petition; or(d)pay compensation to any person to circulate a nomination petition, if the compensation is based directly on the number of signatures submitted to a filing officer rather than on the number of signatures verified or on some other basis.(9)Any person violating Subsection (8) is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.(10)If a person whose signature appears on a nomination petition notifies the filing officer that the person did not sign the nomination petition, the filing officer shall, after making a reasonable attempt to determine the accuracy of the person's allegation, but no later than three business days after the day on which the allegation is received, notify the county or district attorney of:(a)the nature of the allegation; and(b)the name of, and available contact information for:(i)the person making the allegation; and(ii)the person who collected the signature.(10)(11)(a)A voter who signs a nomination petition may have the voter's signature removed from the petition by, no later than three business days after the day on which the candidate files the petition with the appropriate filing officer, submitting to the filing officer a statement requesting that the voter's signature be removed. submitting to the filing officer a statement requesting that the voter's signature be removed no later than 5 p.m. three business days after the day on which:(i)the candidate files the petition with the filing officer; or(ii)if the voter electronically signed the petition under Section 20A-21-201:(A)the website defined in Section 20A-21-101 certifies the voter's signature under Subsection 20A-21-201(6)(a); or(B)the filing officer certifies the voter's signature under Subsection 20A-21-201(7).(b)A statement described in Subsection (10)(a)(11)(a) shall comply with the requirements described in Subsection 20A-1-1003(2).(c)The filing officer shall use the procedures described in Subsection 20A-1-1003(3) to determine whether to remove an individual's signature from a nomination petition after receiving a timely, valid statement requesting removal of the signature.(12)(a)If a filing officer timely receives a statement requesting signature removal under Subsection (11)(a) and determines that the signature should be removed from the nomination petition under Subsection 20A-1-1003(3), the filing officer shall:(i)remove the voter's name and date of signature from the nomination petition and the posting described in Subsection 20A-9-403(3)(d)(vi), 20A-9-408(9)(d), or 20A-9-408(10)(d), as applicable; and(ii)update the nomination petition signature totals.(b)The filing officer shall comply with Subsection (12)(a) no later than 5 p.m. the day before the day of:(i)if the candidate to which the petition relates is seeking the nomination of a registered political party that is not a qualified political party, the deadline described in Subsection 20A-9-202(1)(b); or(ii)if the candidate to which the petition relates is seeking the nomination of a qualified political party, the convention described in Subsection 20A-9-408(11)((c).

Section 3. Section 20A-9-406 is amended to read:20A-9-406. Qualified political party -- Requirements and exemptions.The following provisions apply to a qualified political party:(1)the qualified political party shall, no later than 5 p.m. on the first Monday of October of each odd-numbered year, certify to the lieutenant governor the identity of one or more registered political parties whose members may vote for the qualified political party's candidates and whether unaffiliated voters may vote for the qualified political party's candidates;(2)the following provisions do not apply to a nomination for the qualified political party:(a)Subsections 20A-9-403(1) through (3)(b) and Subsections (3)(d)(ii)20A-9-403(3)(d)(ii) through (4)(a); and(b)Subsection 20A-9-403(5)(c); and.(c)Section 20A-9-405;(3)an individual may only seek the nomination of the qualified political party by using a method described in Section 20A-9-407, Section 20A-9-408, or both;(4)the qualified political party shall comply with the provisions of Sections 20A-9-407, 20A-9-408, and 20A-9-409;(5)notwithstanding Subsection 20A-6-301(1)(a), (1)(e), or (2)(a), each election officer shall ensure that a ballot described in Section 20A-6-301 includes each individual nominated by a qualified political party:(a)under the qualified political party's name, if any; or(b)under the title of the qualified registered political party as designated by the qualified political party in the certification described in Subsection (1), or, if none is designated, then under some suitable title;(6)notwithstanding Subsection 20A-6-302(1)(a), each election officer shall ensure, for ballots in regular general elections, that each candidate who is nominated by the qualified political party is listed by party;(7)notwithstanding Subsection 20A-6-304(1)(e), each election officer shall ensure that the party designation of each candidate who is nominated by the qualified political party is displayed adjacent to the candidate's name on a mechanical ballot;(8)"candidates for elective office," defined in Subsection 20A-9-101(1)(a), also includes an individual who files a declaration of candidacy under Section 20A-9-407 or 20A-9-408 to run in a regular general election for a federal office, constitutional office, multicounty office, or county office;(9)an individual who is nominated by, or seeking the nomination of, the qualified political party is not required to comply with Subsection 20A-9-201(1)(c);(10)notwithstanding Subsection 20A-9-403(3), the qualified political party is entitled to have each of the qualified political party's candidates for elective office appear on the primary ballot of the qualified political party with an indication that each candidate is a candidate for the qualified political party;(11)notwithstanding Subsection 20A-9-403(4)(a), the lieutenant governor shall include on the list provided by the lieutenant governor to the county clerks:(a)the names of all candidates of the qualified political party for federal, constitutional, multicounty, and county offices; and(b)the names of unopposed candidates for elective office who have been nominated by the qualified political party and instruct the county clerks to exclude such candidates from the primary-election ballot;(12)notwithstanding Subsection 20A-9-403(5)(c), a candidate who is unopposed for an elective office in the regular primary election of the qualified political party is nominated by the party for that office without appearing on the primary ballot; and(13)notwithstanding the provisions of Subsections 20A-9-403(1) and (2) and Section 20A-9-405, the qualified political party is entitled to have the names of its candidates for elective office featured with party affiliation on the ballot at a regular general election.

Section 4. Section 20A-9-408 is amended to read:20A-9-408. Signature-gathering process to seek the nomination of a qualified political party -- Removal of signature.(1)This section describes the requirements for a member of a qualified political party who is seeking the nomination of the qualified political party for an elective office through the signature-gathering process described in this section.(2)Notwithstanding Subsection 20A-9-201(7)(a), the form of the declaration of candidacy for a member of a qualified political party who is nominated by, or who is seeking the nomination of, the qualified political party under this section shall be substantially as described in Section 20A-9-408.5.(3)Notwithstanding Subsection 20A-9-202(1)(a), and except as provided in Subsection 20A-9-202(4), a member of a qualified political party who, under this section, is seeking the nomination of the qualified political party for an elective office that is to be filled at the next general election shall:(a)except to the extent otherwise provided in Subsection (13)(a), during the applicable declaration of candidacy filing period described in Section 20A-9-201.5, and before gathering signatures under this section, file with the filing officer on a form approved by the lieutenant governor a notice of intent to gather signatures for candidacy that includes:(i)the name of the member who will attempt to become a candidate for a registered political party under this section;(ii)the name of the registered political party for which the member is seeking nomination;(iii)the office for which the member is seeking to become a candidate;(iv)the address and telephone number of the member; and(v)other information required by the lieutenant governor;(b)except as provided in Subsection 20A-9-202(1)(c), file a declaration of candidacy, in person, with the filing officer during the applicable declaration of candidacy filing period described in Section 20A-9-201.5; and(c)pay the filing fee.(4)Notwithstanding Subsection 20A-9-202(2)(a), a member of a qualified political party who, under this section, is seeking the nomination of the qualified political party for the office of district attorney within a multicounty prosecution district that is to be filled at the next general election shall:(a)during the applicable declaration of candidacy filing period described in Section 20A-9-201.5, and before gathering signatures under this section, file with the filing officer on a form approved by the lieutenant governor a notice of intent to gather signatures for candidacy that includes:(i)the name of the member who will attempt to become a candidate for a registered political party under this section;(ii)the name of the registered political party for which the member is seeking nomination;(iii)the office for which the member is seeking to become a candidate;(iv)the address and telephone number of the member; and(v)other information required by the lieutenant governor;(b)except as provided in Subsection 20A-9-202(1)(c), file a declaration of candidacy, in person, with the filing officer during the applicable declaration of candidacy filing period described in Section 20A-9-201.5; and(c)pay the filing fee.(5)Notwithstanding Subsection 20A-9-202(3)(a)(iii), a lieutenant governor candidate who files as the joint-ticket running mate of an individual who is nominated by a qualified political party, under this section, for the office of governor shall, during the applicable declaration of candidacy filing period described in Section 20A-9-201.5, file a declaration of candidacy and submit a letter from the candidate for governor that names the lieutenant governor candidate as a joint-ticket running mate.(6)The lieutenant governor shall ensure that the certification described in Subsection 20A-9-701(1) also includes the name of each candidate nominated by a qualified political party under this section.(7)Notwithstanding Subsection 20A-9-701(2), the ballot shall, for each candidate who is nominated by a qualified political party under this section, designate the qualified political party that nominated the candidate.(8)A member of a qualified political party may seek the nomination of the qualified political party for an elective office by:(a)complying with the requirements described in this section; and(b)collecting signatures, on a form approved by the lieutenant governor that complies with Subsection 20A-9-405(3), during the period beginning on the day on which the member files a notice of intent to gather signatures and ending at the applicable deadline described in Subsection (12), in the following amounts:(i)for a statewide race, 28,000 signatures of registered voters in the state who are permitted by the qualified political party to vote for the qualified political party's candidates in a primary election;(ii)except as provided in Subsection (13)(b), for a congressional district race, 7,000 signatures of registered voters who are residents of the congressional district and are permitted by the qualified political party to vote for the qualified political party's candidates in a primary election;(iii)for a state Senate district race, 2,000 signatures of registered voters who are residents of the state Senate district and are permitted by the qualified political party to vote for the qualified political party's candidates in a primary election;(iv)for a state House district race, 1,000 signatures of registered voters who are residents of the state House district and are permitted by the qualified political party to vote for the qualified political party's candidates in a primary election;(v)for a State Board of Education race, the lesser of:(A)2,000 signatures of registered voters who are residents of the State Board of Education district and are permitted by the qualified political party to vote for the qualified political party's candidates in a primary election; or(B)3% of the registered voters of the qualified political party who are residents of the applicable State Board of Education district; and(vi)for a county office race, signatures of 3% of the registered voters who are residents of the area permitted to vote for the county office and are permitted by the qualified political party to vote for the qualified political party's candidates in a primary election.(9)(a)This Subsection (9) applies only to the manual candidate qualification process.(b)In order for a member of the qualified political party to qualify as a candidate for the qualified political party's nomination for an elective office under this section, using the manual candidate qualification process, the member shall:(i)collect the signatures on a form approved by the lieutenant governor, using the same circulation and verification requirements described in Sections 20A-7-105 and 20A-7-204; and(ii)in accordance with Section 20A-9-408.3, submit the signatures to the election officer before the applicable deadline described in Subsection (12).(c)Upon timely receipt of the signatures described in Subsections (8) and (9)(b), and in accordance with Section 20A-9-408.3, the election officer shall, no later than the earlier of 14 calendar days after the day on which the election officer receives the signatures, or one day before the day on which the qualified political party holds the convention to select a nominee for the elective office to which the signature packets relate:(i)check the name of each individual who completes the verification for a signature packet to determine whether each individual is at least 18 years old;(ii)submit the name of each individual described in Subsection (9)(c)(i) who is not at least 18 years old to the attorney general and the county attorney;(iii)with the assistance of the county clerk as applicable, determine whether each signer is a registered voter who is qualified to sign the petition, using the same method, described in Section 20A-1-1002, used to verify a signature on a petition; and(iv)certify whether each name is that of a registered voter who is qualified to sign the signature packet.(d)Subject to Subsection 20A-9-405(11), an election officer shall, no later than five business days after the day on which the signature of an individual who signs a petition is certified under Subsection (9)(c)(iv), post the individual's name and date of signature on the lieutenant governor's website, in a conspicuous location designated by the lieutenant governor, for at least 90 calendar days after the date of the primary election.(d)(i)A registered voter who physically signs a form under Subsections (8) and (9)(b) may have the voter's signature removed from the form by, no later than 5 p.m. three business days after the day on which the member submits the signature form to the election officer, submitting to the election officer a statement requesting that the voter's signature be removed.(ii)A statement described in Subsection (9)(d)(i) shall comply with the requirements described in Subsection 20A-1-1003(2).(iii)With the assistance of the county clerk as applicable, the election officer shall use the procedures described in Subsection 20A-1-1003(3) to determine whether to remove an individual's signature after receiving a timely, valid statement requesting removal of the signature.(e)(i)An election officer shall, in accordance with this Subsection (9)(e) and rules made under Section 20A-3a-106, conduct regular audits of signature comparisons made between signatures gathered under this section and voter signatures maintained by the election officer.(ii)An individual who conducts an audit of signature comparisons under this section may not audit the individual's own work.(iii)The election officer shall:(A)audit 1% of all signature comparisons described in Subsection (9)(e)(i) to determine the accuracy of the comparisons made;(B)record the individuals who conducted the audit;(C)record the audit results;(D)provide additional training or staff reassignments, as needed, based on the results of an audit described in Subsection (9)(e)(i); and(E)record any remedial action taken.(iv)The audit results described in Subsection (9)(e)(iii)(C) are a public record.(f)An election officer who certifies signatures under Subsection (9)(c) or 20A-9-403(3)(d) shall, after certifying enough signatures to establish that a candidate has reached the applicable signature threshold described in Subsection (8) or 20A-9-403(3)(a), as applicable, continue to certify signatures submitted for the candidate in excess of the number of signatures required, until the election officer either:(i)certifies signatures equal to 110% of the applicable signature threshold; or(ii)has reviewed all signatures submitted for the candidate before reaching an amount equal to 110% of the applicable signature threshold.(10)(a)This Subsection (10) applies only to the electronic candidate qualification process.(b)In order for a member of the qualified political party to qualify as a candidate for the qualified political party's nomination for an elective office under this section, the member shall, before the deadline described in Subsection (12), collect signatures electronically:(i)in accordance with Section 20A-21-201; and(ii)using progressive screens, in a format approved by the lieutenant governor, that complies with Subsection 20A-9-405(4).(c)Upon timely receipt of the signatures described in Subsections (8) and (9)(b)(10)(b), the election officer shall, no later than the earlier of 14 calendar days after the day on which the election officer receives the signatures, or one day before the day on which the qualified political party holds the convention to select a nominee for the elective office to which the signature packets relate:(i)check the name of each individual who completes the verification for a signature to determine whether each individual is at least 18 years old; and(ii)submit the name of each individual described in Subsection (10)(c)(i) who is not at least 18 years old to the attorney general and the county attorney.(d)Subject to Subsection 20A-9-405(11), an election officer shall, no later than five business days after the day on which the signature of an individual who signs a petition is certified under Section 20A-21-201, post the name and date of signature of the individual on the lieutenant governor's website, in a conspicuous location designated by the lieutenant governor, for at least 90 calendar days after the date of the primary election.(11)(a)An individual may not gather signatures under this section until after the individual files a notice of intent to gather signatures for candidacy described in this section.(b)An individual who files a notice of intent to gather signatures for candidacy, described in Subsection (3)(a) or (4)(a), is, beginning on the day on which the individual files the notice of intent to gather signatures for candidacy:(i)required to comply with the reporting requirements that a candidate for office is required to comply with; and(ii)subject to the same enforcement provisions, and civil and criminal penalties, that apply to a candidate for office in relation to the reporting requirements described in Subsection (11)(b)(i).(c)Upon timely receipt of the signatures described in Subsections (8) and (9)(b), or Subsections (8) and (10)(b), the election officer shall, no later than the day before the day on which the qualified political party holds the convention to select a nominee for the elective office to which the signature packets relate, notify the qualified political party and the lieutenant governor of the name of each member of the qualified political party who qualifies as a nominee of the qualified political party, under this section, for the elective office to which the convention relates.(d)Upon receipt of a notice of intent to gather signatures for candidacy described in this section, the lieutenant governor shall post the notice of intent to gather signatures for candidacy on the lieutenant governor's website in the same location that the lieutenant governor posts a declaration of candidacy.(12)The deadline before which a member of a qualified political party must collect and submit signatures to the election officer under this section is 5 p.m. on the last business day that is at least 14 calendar days before the day on which the qualified political party's convention for the office begins.(13)For the 2026 election year only, an individual who desires to gather signatures to seek the nomination of a qualified political party for the office of United States representative shall:(a)in accordance with Subsection (3)(a), file a notice of intent to gather signatures during the period beginning at 8 a.m. on the first business day of January and ending at 5 p.m. on March 13, 2026; and(b)during the period beginning on the day on which the individual files the notice of intent to gather signatures and ending at 5 p.m. on March 13, 2026, on a form approved by the lieutenant governor that complies with Subsection 20A-9-405(3), collect 7,000 signatures of registered voters who are residents of the state and are permitted by the qualified political party to vote for the qualified political party's candidates in a primary election.

The following section is affected by a coordination clause at the end of this bill.

Section 5. Section 20A-9-502 is amended to read:20A-9-502. Certificate of nomination -- Contents -- Circulation -- Verification -- Criminal penalty -- Removal of petition signature.(1)The candidate shall:(a)prepare a certificate of nomination in substantially the following form:"State of Utah, County of ______________________________________________I, ______________, declare my intention of becoming an unaffiliated candidate for the political group designated as ____ for the office of ____. I do solemnly swear that I can qualify to hold that office both legally and constitutionally if selected, and that I reside at ____ Street, in the city of ____, county of ____, state of ______, zip code ____, phone ____, and that I am providing, or have provided, the required number of holographic signatures of registered voters required by law; that as a candidate at the next election I will not knowingly violate any election or campaign law; that, if filing via a designated agent for an office other than president of the United States, I will be out of the state of Utah during the entire candidate filing period; I will file all campaign financial disclosure reports as required by law; and I understand that failure to do so will result in my disqualification as a candidate for this office and removal of my name from the ballot.__________________________________________Subscribed and sworn to before me this ______(month\day\year).__________________________________________Notary Public (or other officerqualified to administer oaths)";(b)for each signature packet, bind signature sheets to a copy of the certificate of nomination and the circulator verification, that:(i)are printed on sheets of paper 8-1/2 inches long and 11 inches wide;(ii)are ruled with a horizontal line 3/4 inch from the top, with the space above that line blank for the purpose of binding;(iii)contain the name of the proposed candidate and the words "Unaffiliated Candidate Certificate of Nomination Petition" printed directly below the horizontal line;(iv)contain the word "Warning" printed directly under the words described in Subsection (1)(b)(iii);(v)contain, to the right of the word "Warning," the following statement printed in not less than eight-point, single leaded type:"It is a class A misdemeanor for anyone to knowingly sign a certificate of nomination signature sheet with any name other than the person's own name or more than once for the same candidate or if the person is not registered to vote in this state and does not intend to become registered to vote in this state before the county clerk certifies the signatures.";(vi)contain the following statement directly under the statement described in Subsection (1)(b)(v):"Each signer says:I have personally signed this petition with a holographic signature;I am registered to vote in Utah or intend to become registered to vote in Utah before the county clerk certifies my signature; andMy street address is written correctly after my name.";(vii)contain horizontally ruled lines, 3/8 inch apart under the statement described in Subsection (1)(b)(vi); and(viii)be vertically divided into columns as follows:(A)the first column shall appear at the extreme left of the sheet, be 5/8 inch wide, be headed with "For Office Use Only," and be subdivided with a light vertical line down the middle;(B)the next column shall be 2-1/2 inches wide, headed "Registered Voter's Printed Name (must be legible to be counted)";(C)the next column shall be 2-1/2 inches wide, headed "Holographic Signature of Registered Voter";(D)the next column shall be one inch wide, headed "Birth Date or Age (Optional)";(E)the final column shall be 4-3/8 inches wide, headed "Street Address, City, Zip Code"; and(F)at the bottom of the sheet, contain the following statement: "Birth date or age information is not required, but it may be used to verify your identity with voter registration records. If you choose not to provide it, your signature may not be certified as a valid signature if you change your address before petition signatures are certified or if the information you provide does not match your voter registration records."; and(c)bind a final page to one or more signature sheets that are bound together that contains, except as provided by Subsection (3), the following printed statement:"VerificationState of Utah, County of ____I, _______________, of ____, hereby state that:I am at least 18 years old;All the names that appear on the signature sheets bound to this page were signed by persons who professed to be the persons whose names appear on the signature sheets, and each of them signed the person's name on the signature sheets in my presence;I believe that each has printed and signed the person's name and written the person's street address correctly, and that each signer is registered to vote in Utah or will register to vote in Utah before the county clerk certifies the signatures on the signature sheet.______________________________________________________________________(Signature) (Residence Address)(Date).".(2)An agent designated to file a certificate of nomination under Subsection 20A-9-503(2)(b) or (4)(b) may not sign the form described in Subsection (1)(a).(3)(a)The candidate shall circulate the nomination petition and ensure that the person in whose presence each signature sheet is signed:(i)is at least 18 years old; and(ii)verifies each signature sheet by completing the verification bound to one or more signature sheets that are bound together.(b)A person may not sign the circulator verification if the person signed a signature sheet bound to the verification.(4)(a)It is unlawful for any person to:(i)knowingly sign a certificate of nomination signature sheet:(A)with any name other than the person's own name;(B)more than once for the same candidate; or(C)if the person is not registered to vote in this state and does not intend to become registered to vote in this state before the county clerk certifies the signatures; or(ii)sign the verification of a certificate of nomination signature sheet if the person:(A)has not witnessed the signing by those persons whose names appear on the certificate of nomination signature sheet; or(B)knows that a person whose signature appears on the certificate of nomination signature sheet is not registered to vote in this state and does not intend to become registered to vote in this state.(b)Any person violating this Subsection (4) is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.(c)If a person whose signature appears on a nomination petition notifies the county clerk that the person did not sign the nomination petition, the county clerk shall, after making a reasonable attempt to determine the accuracy of the person's allegation, but no later than three business days after the day on which the allegation is received, notify the county or district attorney of:(i)the nature of the allegation; and(ii)the name of, and available contact information for:(A)the person making the allegation; and(B)the person who collected the signature.(5)(a)To qualify for placement on the general election ballot, the candidate shall, no earlier than the start of the applicable declaration of candidacy period described in Section 20A-9-201.5 and no later than 5 p.m. on June 15 of the year in which the election will be held:(i)comply with Subsection 20A-9-503(1); and(ii)submit each signature packet to the county clerk where the majority of the signatures in the packet were collected, with signatures totaling:(A)at least 1,000 registered voters residing within the state when the nomination is for an office to be filled by the voters of the entire state; or(B)at least 300 registered voters residing within a political division or at least 5% of the registered voters residing within a political division, whichever is less, when the nomination is for an office to be filled by the voters of any political division smaller than the state.(b)A candidate has not complied with Subsection (5)(a)(ii), unless the county clerks verify that each required signature is a valid signature of a registered voter who is eligible to sign the signature packet and has not signed a signature packet to nominate another candidate for the same office.(c)In reviewing the signature packets, the county clerk shall count and certify only those persons who signed with a holographic signature, who:(i)are registered voters within the political division that the candidate seeks to represent; and(ii)did not sign any other certificate of nomination for that office.(d)The county clerk shall count and certify the number of registered voters who validly signed a signature packet, no later than 30 calendar days after the day on which the candidate submits the signature packet.(e)The candidate may supplement the signatures or amend the certificate of nomination or declaration of candidacy at any time on or before 5 p.m. on June 15 of the year in which the election will be held.(f)The county clerk shall use the procedures described in Section 20A-1-1002 to determine whether a signer is a registered voter who is qualified to sign the signature packet.(6)Subject to Subsection (7), the county clerk shall, no later than five business days after the day on which the signature of a voter who signs a signature packet is certified under Subsection (5)(d) or Section 20A-21-201, post the voter's name and date of signature on the lieutenant governor's website, in a conspicuous location designated by the lieutenant governor, until at least the day of the deadline described in Subsection 20A-9-403(3)(d)(vi).(6)(7)(a)A voter who signs a signature packet under this section may have the voter's signature removed from the signature packet by, no later than 5 p.m. three business days after the day on which the candidate submits the signature packet to the county clerk, submitting to the county clerk a statement requesting that the voter's signature be removed. submitting to the county clerk a statement requesting that the voter's signature be removed no later than 5 p.m. three business days after the day on which:(i)the candidate submits the signature packet to the county clerk under Subsection (5)(a); or(ii)if the voter electronically signed the nomination petition under Section 20A-21-201:(A)the website defined in Section 20A-21-101 certifies the voter's signature under Subsection 20A-21-201(6)(a); or(B)the county clerk certifies the voter's signature under Subsection 20A-21-201(7).(b)A statement described in Subsection (6)(a)(7)(a) shall comply with the requirements described in Subsection 20A-1-1003(2).(c)The county clerk shall use the procedures described in Subsection 20A-1-1003(3) to determine whether to remove an individual's signature from a signature packet after receiving a timely, valid statement requesting removal of the signature.(8)(a)If a county clerk timely receives a statement requesting signature removal under Subsection (7)(a) and determines that the signature should be removed from the nomination petition under Subsection 20A-1-1003(3), the county clerk shall:(i)remove the voter's name and date of signature from the nomination petition and the posting described in Subsection (6); and(ii)update the nomination petition signature totals.(b)The county clerk shall comply with Subsection (8)(a) no later than the day of the deadline described in Subsection (5)(d).

Section 6. Effective Date.This bill takes effect on May 6, 2026.

Section 7. Coordinating H.B. 167 with H.B. 223.If H.B. 167, Signature Collection Modifications, and H.B. 223, Electronic Signature Collection Amendments, both pass and become law, the Legislature intends that, on May 6, 2026:(1) Subsection 20A-9-405(11)(a)(ii)(A), enacted in H.B. 167, be amended to read:"(A) the system defined in Section 20A-21-101 certifies the voter's signature under Subsection 20A-21-201(6)(a); or"; and(2) Subsection 20A-9-502(7)(a)(ii)(A), enacted in H.B. 167, be amended to read:"(A) the system defined in Section 20A-21-101 certifies the voter's signature under Subsection 20A-21-201(6)(a); or".