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S.B. 10 Enrolled

             1     

PROVISIONAL BALLOT AMENDMENTS

             2     
2006 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Parley G. Hellewell

             5     
House Sponsor: Douglas C. Aagard

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill amends the provisional ballot requirements under the Election Code.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    provides that a voter whose identity or right to vote is challenged shall be issued a
             13      provisional ballot and be permitted to vote;
             14          .    removes the procedure requiring an affidavit to be signed in order to obtain a ballot
             15      when a voter's identity or right to vote is challenged;
             16          .    removes criminal penalties associated with the affidavit requirement;
             17          .    provides a criminal penalty for knowingly providing false information when voting
             18      using a provisional ballot; and
             19          .    makes technical changes.
             20      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             21          None
             22      Other Special Clauses:
             23          None
             24      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             25      AMENDS:
             26          20A-3-104.5, as last amended by Chapter 159, Laws of Utah 2003
             27          20A-3-105.5, as last amended by Chapters 34, 117 and 131, Laws of Utah 2003
             28          20A-3-202, as last amended by Chapter 105, Laws of Utah 2005
             29          20A-6-105, as last amended by Chapter 219, Laws of Utah 2004


             30      ENACTS:
             31          20A-3-506, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             32     
             33      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             34          Section 1. Section 20A-3-104.5 is amended to read:
             35           20A-3-104.5. Voting -- Regular primary election.
             36          (1) (a) Any registered voter desiring to vote at the regular primary election shall give
             37      his name, the name of the registered political party whose ballot the voter wishes to vote, and,
             38      if requested, his residence, to one of the election judges.
             39          (b) If an election judge does not know the [person] voter requesting a ballot and has
             40      reason to doubt that [person's] voter's identity, the judge shall:
             41          (i) request that the voter present identification; or
             42          (ii) have the voter identified by a known registered voter of the district.
             43          (c) [If the voter is challenged as provided in Section 20A-3-202 , the] The election
             44      judge shall [provide a ballot to the voter if the voter takes an oath that the grounds of the
             45      challenge are false.] follow the procedures and requirements of Section 20A-3-105.5 if:
             46          (i) the election judge is not satisfied that the voter has been properly identified; or
             47          (ii) the voter's right to vote is challenged under Section 20A-3-202 .
             48          (2) (a) (i) [When] If the voter is properly identified, the election judge in charge of the
             49      official register shall check the official register to determine:
             50          (A) whether or not the person is registered to vote; and
             51          (B) whether or not the person's party affiliation designation in the official register
             52      allows the voter to vote the ballot that the voter requested.
             53          (ii) If the official register does not affirmatively identify the voter as being affiliated
             54      with a registered political party or if the official register identifies the voter as being
             55      "unaffiliated," the voter shall be considered to be "unaffiliated."
             56          (b) (i) [If] Except as provided in Subsection (2)(b)(ii), if the voter's name is not found
             57      on the official register [and, if], the judge shall follow the procedures and requirements of


             58      Section 20A-3-105.5 .
             59          (ii) (A) If it is not unduly disruptive of the election process, the election judge shall
             60      attempt to contact the county clerk's office to request oral verification of the voter's registration.
             61          [(ii)] (B) If oral verification is received from the county clerk's office, the judge shall:
             62          (I) record the verification on the official register[,];
             63          (II) determine the voter's party affiliation and the ballot that the voter is qualified to
             64      vote[,]; and
             65          (III) perform the other administrative steps required by Subsection (3).
             66          (c) (i) Except as provided in Subsection (2)(c)(ii), if the voter's political party
             67      affiliation listed in the official register does not allow the voter to vote the ballot that the voter
             68      requested, the election judge shall inform the voter of that fact and inform the voter of the
             69      ballot or ballots that the voter's party affiliation does allow the voter to vote.
             70          (ii) (A) If the voter is listed in the official register as "unaffiliated," or if the official
             71      register does not affirmatively identify the voter as either "unaffiliated" or affiliated with a
             72      registered political party, and the voter, as an "unaffiliated" voter, is not authorized to vote the
             73      ballot that the voter requests, the election judge shall ask the voter if the voter wishes to vote
             74      another registered political party ballot that the voter, as "unaffiliated," is authorized to vote, or
             75      remain "unaffiliated."
             76          (B) If the voter wishes to vote another registered political party ballot that the
             77      unaffiliated voter is authorized to vote, the election judge shall proceed as required by
             78      Subsection (3).
             79          (C) If the voter wishes to remain unaffiliated and does not wish to vote another ballot
             80      that unaffiliated voters are authorized to vote, the election judge shall instruct the voter that the
             81      voter may not vote.
             82          (iii) For the primary elections held in 2004, 2006, and 2008 only:
             83          (A) If the voter is listed in the official register as "unaffiliated," or if the official
             84      register does not affirmatively identify the voter as either "unaffiliated" or "affiliated" with a
             85      registered political party, the election judge shall ask the voter if the voter wishes to affiliate


             86      with a registered political party, or remain "unaffiliated."
             87          (B) If the voter wishes to affiliate with the registered political party whose ballot the
             88      voter requested, the election judge shall direct the voter to complete the change of party
             89      affiliation form and proceed as required by Subsection (3).
             90          (C) If the voter wishes to remain unaffiliated and wishes to vote another registered
             91      political party ballot that the unaffiliated voter is authorized to vote, the election judge shall
             92      proceed as required by Subsection (3).
             93          (D) If the voter wishes to remain unaffiliated and does not wish to vote another ballot
             94      that unaffiliated voters are authorized to vote, the election judge shall instruct the voter that the
             95      voter may not vote.
             96          (3) If the election judge determines that the voter is registered and eligible, under
             97      Subsection (2), to vote the ballot that the voter requested:
             98          (a) the election judge in charge of the official register shall:
             99          (i) write the ballot number and the name of the registered political party whose ballot
             100      the voter voted opposite the name of the voter in the official register; and
             101          (ii) direct the voter to sign his name in the election column in the official register;
             102          (b) another judge shall list the ballot number and voter's name in the pollbook; and
             103          (c) the election judge having charge of the ballots shall:
             104          (i) endorse his initials on the stub;
             105          (ii) check the name of the voter on the pollbook list with the number of the stub;
             106          (iii) hand the voter the ballot for the registered political party that the voter requested
             107      and for which the voter is authorized to vote; and
             108          (iv) allow the voter to enter the voting booth.
             109          (4) Whenever the election officer is required to furnish more than one kind of official
             110      ballot to the voting precinct, the election judges of that voting precinct shall give the registered
             111      voter the kind of ballot that the voter is qualified to vote.
             112          Section 2. Section 20A-3-105.5 is amended to read:
             113           20A-3-105.5. Manner of voting -- Provisional ballot.


             114          (1) The election judges shall follow the procedures and requirements of this section
             115      when:
             116          (a) the person's right to vote is challenged as provided in Section 20A-3-202 ; [or]
             117          (b) the person's name is not found on the official register[.]; or
             118          (c) the election judge is not satisfied that the voter has been properly identified.
             119          (2) When faced with one of the circumstances outlined in Subsection (1)(a) or (1)(b),
             120      the election judge shall:
             121          (a) request that the person provide proof of identity and proof of residence; and
             122          (b) review the proof of identity and proof of residence provided by the person.
             123          (3) If the election judge is satisfied that the person has established the person's identity
             124      and residence in the voting precinct:
             125          (a) the election judge in charge of the official register shall:
             126          (i) record in the official register the type of source documents that established the
             127      person's proof of identity and proof of residence;
             128          (ii) write the provisional ballot envelope number opposite the name of the voter in the
             129      official register; and
             130          (iii) direct the voter to sign his name in the election column in the official register;
             131          (b) another judge shall list the ballot number and voter's name in the pollbook; and
             132          (c) the election judge having charge of the ballots shall:
             133          (i) endorse his initials on the stub;
             134          (ii) check the name of the voter on the pollbook list with the number of the stub;
             135          (iii) give the voter a ballot and a provisional ballot envelope; and
             136          (iv) allow the voter to enter the voting booth.
             137          (4) If the election judge is not satisfied that the voter has provided sufficient proof of
             138      identity and proof of residence:
             139          (a) the election judge in charge of the official register shall:
             140          (i) record in the official register that the voter did not provide adequate proof of
             141      identity and proof of residence;


             142          (ii) write the provisional ballot envelope number opposite the name of the voter in the
             143      official register; and
             144          (iii) direct the voter to sign his name in the election column in the official register;
             145          (b) another judge shall list the ballot number and voter's name in the pollbook; and
             146          (c) the election judge having charge of the ballots shall:
             147          (i) endorse his initials on the stub;
             148          (ii) check the name of the voter on the pollbook list with the number of the stub;
             149          (iii) give the voter a ballot and a provisional ballot envelope; and
             150          (iv) allow the voter to enter the voting booth.
             151          (5) Whenever the election officer is required to furnish more than one kind of official
             152      ballot to a voting precinct, the election judges of that voting precinct shall give the registered
             153      voter the kind of ballot that the voter is qualified to vote.
             154          Section 3. Section 20A-3-202 is amended to read:
             155           20A-3-202. Challenges -- Recorded in official register and in pollbook.
             156          (1) (a) When any person applies for a ballot or when a person offers a ballot for deposit
             157      in the ballot box, the person's right to vote in that voting precinct and in that election may be
             158      orally challenged by an election judge or any challenger orally stating the challenged voter's
             159      name and the basis for the challenge.
             160          (b) A person may challenge another person's right to vote by alleging that:
             161          (i) the voter is not the person whose name appears in the official register and under
             162      which name the right to vote is claimed;
             163          (ii) the voter is not a resident of Utah;
             164          (iii) the voter is not a citizen of the United States;
             165          (iv) the voter has not or will not have resided in Utah for 30 days immediately before
             166      the date of the election;
             167          (v) the voter does not live in the voting precinct;
             168          (vi) the voter does not live within the geographic boundaries of the entity holding the
             169      election;


             170          (vii) the voter's principal place of residence is not in the voting precinct;
             171          (viii) the voter's principal place of residence is not in the geographic boundaries of the
             172      election area;
             173          (ix) the voter has voted before in the election;
             174          (x) the voter is not at least 18 years old;
             175          (xi) the voter is involuntarily confined or incarcerated in jail or prison and was not a
             176      resident of the entity holding the election before the voter was confined or incarcerated;
             177          (xii) the voter is a convicted felon and is incarcerated for the commission of a felony;
             178      or
             179          (xiii) in a regular primary election, the voter does not meet the political party affiliation
             180      criteria established by the political party whose ballot the voter seeks to vote.
             181          [(2) (a) The election judges shall give the voter a ballot and allow the voter to vote if:]
             182          [(i) the person challenged signs a written affidavit certifying that he meets all the
             183      requirements for voting; and]
             184          [(ii) the election judge determines that the person challenged is registered to vote and,
             185      in a regular primary election, meets the political party affiliation criteria established by the
             186      political party whose ballot the voter seeks to vote.]
             187          [(b) The election judges may not give the voter a ballot or allow the voter to vote if:]
             188          [(i) the person challenged refuses to sign the written affidavit; or]
             189          [(ii) in a regular primary election, the election judge determines that the person
             190      challenged does not meet the political party affiliation criteria established by the political party
             191      whose ballot the voter seeks to vote and is unwilling or unable to take the steps authorized by
             192      law to comply with those criteria.]
             193          [(c) (i) It is unlawful for any person to sign an affidavit certifying that he meets all the
             194      requirements for voting when that person knows he does not meet at least one of those
             195      requirements.]
             196          [(ii) Any person who violates this Subsection (2)(c) is guilty of a class B
             197      misdemeanor.]


             198          [(3)] (2) (a) Any person may challenge the right to vote of any person whose name
             199      appears on the posting list by filing a written signed statement identifying the challenged
             200      voter's name and the basis for the challenge with the county clerk on the Friday before the
             201      election during regular business hours.
             202          (b) The person challenging a person's right to vote shall allege one or more of the
             203      grounds established in Subsection (1)(b) as the basis for the challenge.
             204          (c) The county clerk shall:
             205          (i) carefully preserve the written challenges;
             206          (ii) write in the appropriate official register opposite the name of any person for whom
             207      the county clerk received a written challenge, the words "To be challenged"; and
             208          (iii) transmit the written challenges to election judges of that voting precinct.
             209          (d) [On election day, the] The election judges shall raise the written challenge with the
             210      voter [before giving the voter a ballot] when the voter requests a ballot.
             211          [(e) If the person challenged takes an oath before any of the election judges that the
             212      grounds of the challenge are false, the judges shall allow the person to vote.]
             213          [(f) If the person applying to vote does not meet the legal requirements to vote, or
             214      refuses to take the oath, the election judges may not deliver a ballot to him.]
             215          [(4)] (3) The election judges shall record all challenges in the official register and on
             216      the challenge sheets in the pollbook.
             217          [(5) If the person challenged under Subsection (3) voted an absentee ballot, the county
             218      clerk shall submit the name of the voter and the challenge to the voter to the county attorney, or
             219      the district attorney in counties with a prosecution district, for investigation and prosecution for
             220      voter fraud.]
             221          (4) If a person's right to vote is challenged under this section, the election judge shall
             222      follow the procedures and requirements of Section 20A-3-105.5 .
             223          Section 4. Section 20A-3-506 is enacted to read:
             224          20A-3-506. False information on provisional ballot envelope.
             225          (1) A person may not wilfully falsify information on a provisional ballot envelope.


             226          (2) A person who violates this section is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.
             227          Section 5. Section 20A-6-105 is amended to read:
             228           20A-6-105. Provisional ballot envelopes.
             229          (1) Each election officer shall ensure that provisional ballot envelopes are printed in
             230      substantially the following form:
             231          "AFFIRMATION
             232      Are you a citizen of the United States of America? Yes No
             233      Will you be 18 years old on or before election day? Yes No
             234      If you checked "no" in response to either of the two above questions, do not complete this
             235      form.
             236          Name of Voter _________________________________________________________
             237                      First             Middle         Last
             238          Driver License or Identification Card Number _________________________________
             239          State of Issuance of Driver License or Identification Card Number _________________
             240          Date of Birth ___________________________________________________________
             241          Street Address of Principal Place of Residence
             242          ______________________________________________________________________
             243              City            County            State        Zip Code
             244          Telephone Number (optional) ______________________________________________
             245          Last four digits of Social Security Number ____________________________
             246          Last former address at which I was registered to vote (if known)
             247          ______________________________________________________________________
             248              City            County            State        Zip Code
             249          Voting Precinct (if known)
             250      _________________________________________________
             251          I, (please print your full name)__________________________do solemnly swear or
             252      affirm:
             253          1. that I am currently registered to vote in ______________________, County, Utah;


             254      that I have not moved out of the county since the date of the original registration; that I have
             255      not voted in this election in any other precinct; and that I request that I be permitted to vote in
             256      this election in this precinct;
             257          2. that on or about____________________(Date), I completed a voter registration
             258      application at_______________________________(please indicate the office at which you
             259      completed the voter registration application, for example, Human Services, Driver License,
             260      etc., or, if you filled out a mail-in registration form, please indicate.);
             261          3. that I have previously registered to vote in __________________, County, Utah; that
             262      I have not resided outside of that county since completing that registration; and that I am
             263      entitled to vote today; and
             264          4. subject to penalty of law for false statements, that the information contained in this
             265      form is true, and that I am a citizen of the United States and a resident of Utah, residing at the
             266      above address; and that I am at least 18 years old and have resided in Utah for the 30 days
             267      immediately before this election.
             268      Signed ______________________________________________________________________
             269      Dated ______________________________________________________________________
             270          In accordance with Section 20A-3-506 , wilfully providing false information above is a
             271      class B misdemeanor under Utah law and is punishable by imprisonment and by fine".
             272          "CITIZENSHIP AFFIDAVIT
             273          Name:
             274          Name at birth, if different:
             275          Place of birth:
             276          Date of birth:
             277          Date and place of naturalization (if applicable):
             278          I hereby swear and affirm, under penalties for voting fraud set forth below, that I am a
             279      citizen and that to the best of my knowledge and belief the information above is true and
             280      correct.
             281                                      ____________________________


             282                                          Signature of Applicant
             283          In accordance with Section 20A-2-401 , the penalty for willfully causing, procuring, or
             284      allowing yourself to be registered to vote if you know you are not entitled to register to vote is
             285      up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500."
             286          (2) The provisional ballot envelope shall include:
             287          (a) a unique number;
             288          (b) a detachable part that includes the unique number; and
             289          (c) a telephone number, internet address, or other indicator of a means, in accordance
             290      with Section 20A-6-105.5 , where the voter can find out if the provisional ballot was counted.


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