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H.B. 243

             1     

MUNICIPAL ELECTION REVISIONS

             2     
2012 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: John Dougall

             5     
Senate Sponsor: John L. Valentine

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill amends provisions related to filing for candidacy in certain municipal
             10      elections.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    repeals provisions authorizing certain third, fourth, and fifth class municipalities
             14      and certain towns to adopt an ordinance that allows a candidate for municipal office
             15      to file a nominating petition in lieu of using the convention system;
             16          .    repeals provisions related to signature requirements for a nominating petition in
             17      certain municipalities and towns;
             18          .    repeals provisions related to the nominating petition requirements in certain
             19      municipalities and town; and
             20          .    makes technical corrections.
             21      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             22          None
             23      Other Special Clauses:
             24          None
             25      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             26      AMENDS:
             27          20A-9-203, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapters 17, 327, and 395


             28     
             29      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             30          Section 1. Section 20A-9-203 is amended to read:
             31           20A-9-203. Declarations of candidacy -- Municipal general elections.
             32          (1) (a) (i) A person may become a candidate for any municipal office if:
             33          (A) the person is a registered voter; and
             34          (B) (I) the person has resided within the municipality in which that person seeks to
             35      hold elective office for the 12 consecutive months immediately before the date of the election;
             36      or
             37          (II) if the territory in which the person resides was annexed into the municipality, the
             38      person has resided within the annexed territory or the municipality the 12 consecutive months
             39      immediately before the date of the election.
             40          (ii) For purposes of determining whether a person meets the residency requirement of
             41      Subsection (1)(a)(i)(B)(I) in a municipality that was incorporated less than 12 months before
             42      the election, the municipality shall be considered to have been incorporated 12 months before
             43      the date of the election.
             44          (b) In addition to the requirements of Subsection (1)(a), each candidate for a municipal
             45      council position shall, if elected from a district, be a resident of the council district from which
             46      elected.
             47          (c) In accordance with Utah Constitution Article IV, Section 6, any mentally
             48      incompetent person, any person convicted of a felony, or any person convicted of treason or a
             49      crime against the elective franchise may not hold office in this state until the right to hold
             50      elective office is restored under Section 20A-2-101.3 or 20A-2-101.5 .
             51          (2) (a) [Except as provided in Subsection (2)(b) or (2)(c), each] A person seeking to
             52      become a candidate for a municipal office shall:
             53          (i) file a declaration of candidacy, in person with the city recorder or town clerk, during
             54      office hours and not later than the close of normal office hours, between June 1 and June 15 of
             55      any odd-numbered year; and
             56          (ii) pay the filing fee, if one is required by municipal ordinance.
             57          [(b) (i) As used in this Subsection (2)(b), "registered voters" means the number of
             58      persons registered to vote in the municipality on the January 1 of the municipal election year.]


             59          [(ii) A third, fourth, or fifth class city that used the convention system to nominate
             60      candidates in the last municipal election as authorized by Subsection 20A-9-404 (3) or used the
             61      process contained in this Subsection (2)(b) in the last municipal election or a town that used the
             62      convention system to nominate candidates in the last municipal election as authorized by
             63      Subsection 20A-9-404 (3) or used the process contained in this Subsection (2)(b) in the last
             64      municipal election may, by ordinance, require, in lieu of the convention system, that candidates
             65      for municipal office file a nominating petition signed by a percentage of registered voters at the
             66      same time that the candidate files a declaration of candidacy.]
             67          [(iii) The ordinance shall specify the number of holographic signatures that the
             68      candidate must obtain on the nominating petition in order to become a candidate for municipal
             69      office under this Subsection (2), but that number may not exceed 5% of registered voters.]
             70          [(c)] (b) Any resident of a municipality may nominate a candidate for a municipal
             71      office by:
             72          (i) filing a nomination petition with the city recorder or town clerk during office hours,
             73      but not later than the close of normal office hours, between June 1 and June 15 of any
             74      odd-numbered year; and
             75          (ii) paying the filing fee, if one is required by municipal ordinance.
             76          (3) (a) Before the filing officer may accept any declaration of candidacy or nomination
             77      petition, the filing officer shall:
             78          (i) read to the prospective candidate or person filing the petition the constitutional and
             79      statutory qualification requirements for the office that the candidate is seeking; and
             80          (ii) require the candidate or person filing the petition to state whether the candidate
             81      meets those requirements.
             82          (b) If the prospective candidate does not meet the qualification requirements for the
             83      office, the filing officer may not accept the declaration of candidacy or nomination petition.
             84          (c) If it appears that the prospective candidate meets the requirements of candidacy, the
             85      filing officer shall:
             86          (i) inform the candidate that the candidate's name will appear on the ballot as it is
             87      written on the declaration of candidacy;
             88          (ii) provide the candidate with a copy of the current campaign financial disclosure laws
             89      for the office the candidate is seeking and inform the candidate that failure to comply will


             90      result in disqualification as a candidate and removal of the candidate's name from the ballot;
             91          (iii) provide the candidate with a copy of Section 20A-7-801 regarding the Statewide
             92      Electronic Voter Information Website Program and inform the candidate of the submission
             93      deadline under Subsection 20A-7-801 (4)(a);
             94          (iv) provide the candidate with a copy of the pledge of fair campaign practices
             95      described under Section 20A-9-206 and inform the candidate that:
             96          (A) signing the pledge is voluntary; and
             97          (B) signed pledges shall be filed with the filing officer; and
             98          (v) accept the declaration of candidacy or nomination petition.
             99          (d) If the candidate elects to sign the pledge of fair campaign practices, the filing
             100      officer shall:
             101          (i) accept the candidate's pledge; and
             102          (ii) if the candidate has filed for a partisan office, provide a certified copy of the
             103      candidate's pledge to the chair of the county or state political party of which the candidate is a
             104      member.
             105          (4) The declaration of candidacy shall substantially comply with the following form:
             106          "I, (print name) ____, being first sworn, say that I reside at ____ Street, City of ____,
             107      County of ____, state of Utah, Zip Code ____, Telephone Number (if any) ____; that I am a
             108      registered voter; and that I am a candidate for the office of ____ (stating the term). I will meet
             109      the legal qualifications required of candidates for this office. I will file all campaign financial
             110      disclosure reports as required by law and I understand that failure to do so will result in my
             111      disqualification as a candidate for this office and removal of my name from the ballot. I
             112      request that my name be printed upon the applicable official ballots. (Signed)
             113      _______________
             114          Subscribed and sworn to (or affirmed) before me by ____ on this
             115      __________(month\day\year).
             116          (Signed) _______________ (Clerk or other officer qualified to administer oath)"
             117          (5) (a) [In all first and second class cities, and in third, fourth, or fifth class cities that
             118      have not passed the ordinance authorized by Subsection (2)(b) and in towns that have not
             119      passed the ordinance authorized by Subsection (2)(b), any] A registered voter may be
             120      nominated for municipal office by submitting a petition signed, with a holographic signature,


             121      by:
             122          (i) 25 residents of the municipality who are at least 18 years old; or
             123          (ii) 20% of the residents of the municipality who are at least 18 years old.
             124          (b) (i) The petition shall substantially conform to the following form:
             125     
"NOMINATION PETITION

             126          The undersigned residents of (name of municipality) being 18 years old or older
             127      nominate (name of nominee) to the office of ____ for the (two or four-year term, whichever is
             128      applicable)."
             129          (ii) The remainder of the petition shall contain lines and columns for the signatures of
             130      persons signing the petition and their addresses and telephone numbers.
             131          [(6) (a) In third, fourth, and fifth class cities that have passed the ordinance authorized
             132      by Subsection (2)(b), and in towns that have passed the ordinance authorized by Subsection
             133      (2)(b), any registered voter may be nominated for municipal office by submitting a petition
             134      signed, with a holographic signature, by the same percentage of registered voters in the
             135      municipality as required by the ordinance passed under authority of Subsection (2)(b).]
             136          [(b) (i) The petition shall substantially conform to the following form:]
             137          ["NOMINATION PETITION]
             138          [The undersigned residents of (name of municipality) being 18 years old or older
             139      nominate (name of nominee) to the office of (name of office) for the (two or four-year term,
             140      whichever is applicable)."]
             141          [(ii) The remainder of the petition shall contain lines and columns for the holographic
             142      signatures of persons signing the petition and their addresses and telephone numbers.]
             143          [(7)] (6) If the declaration of candidacy or nomination petition fails to state whether the
             144      nomination is for the two or four-year term, the clerk shall consider the nomination to be for
             145      the four-year term.
             146          [(8)] (7) (a) The clerk shall verify with the county clerk that all candidates are
             147      registered voters.
             148          (b) Any candidate who is not registered to vote is disqualified and the clerk may not
             149      print the candidate's name on the ballot.
             150          [(9)] (8) Immediately after expiration of the period for filing a declaration of
             151      candidacy, the clerk shall:


             152          (a) cause the names of the candidates as they will appear on the ballot to be published:
             153          (i) in at least two successive publications of a newspaper with general circulation in the
             154      municipality; and
             155          (ii) as required in Section 45-1-101 ; and
             156          (b) notify the lieutenant governor of the names of the candidates as they will appear on
             157      the ballot.
             158          [(10)] (9) A declaration of candidacy or nomination petition filed under this section
             159      may not be amended after the expiration of the period for filing a declaration of candidacy.
             160          [(11)] (10) (a) A declaration of candidacy or nomination petition filed under this
             161      section is valid unless a written objection is filed with the clerk within five days after the last
             162      day for filing.
             163          (b) If an objection is made, the clerk shall:
             164          (i) mail or personally deliver notice of the objection to the affected candidate
             165      immediately; and
             166          (ii) decide any objection within 48 hours after it is filed.
             167          (c) If the clerk sustains the objection, the candidate may correct the problem by
             168      amending the declaration or petition within three days after the objection is sustained or by
             169      filing a new declaration within three days after the objection is sustained.
             170          (d) (i) The clerk's decision upon objections to form is final.
             171          (ii) The clerk's decision upon substantive matters is reviewable by a district court if
             172      prompt application is made to the district court.
             173          (iii) The decision of the district court is final unless the Supreme Court, in the exercise
             174      of its discretion, agrees to review the lower court decision.
             175          [(12)] (11) Any person who filed a declaration of candidacy and was nominated, and
             176      any person who was nominated by a nomination petition, may, any time up to 23 days before
             177      the election, withdraw the nomination by filing a written affidavit with the clerk.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 12-15-11 10:26 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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