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S.B. 20

             1     

PETITIONS BY CANDIDATES OR POLITICAL PARTIES

             2     
2012 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Peter C. Knudson

             5     
House Sponsor: Kraig Powell

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      Committee Note:
             9          The Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Interim Committee
             10      recommended this bill.
             11      General Description:
             12          This bill amends provisions in Title 20A, Election Code, relating to a certificate of
             13      nomination petition by an unaffiliated candidate and a political party registration
             14      petition.
             15      Highlighted Provisions:
             16          This bill:
             17          .    establishes the criminal penalty of a class A misdemeanor for certain actions related
             18      to signing or verifying the signing of a certificate of nomination petition by an
             19      unaffiliated candidate and a political party registration petition;
             20          .    establishes requirements for the form and content of a certificate of nomination
             21      petition by an unaffiliated candidate and a political party registration petition;
             22          .    requires a person who is a resident of at least 18 years of age to verify the signing of
             23      a certificate of nomination petition by an unaffiliated candidate and a political party
             24      registration petition; and
             25          .    makes technical and conforming amendments.
             26      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             27          None


             28      Other Special Clauses:
             29          None
             30      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             31      AMENDS:
             32          20A-8-103, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 17
             33          20A-9-502, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 17
             34     
             35      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             36          Section 1. Section 20A-8-103 is amended to read:
             37           20A-8-103. Petition procedures -- Criminal penalty.
             38          (1) As used in this section, the proposed name or emblem of a registered political party
             39      is "distinguishable" if a reasonable person of average intelligence will be able to perceive a
             40      difference between the proposed name or emblem and any name or emblem currently being
             41      used by another registered political party.
             42          (2) To become a registered political party, an organization of registered voters that is
             43      not a continuing political party shall:
             44          (a) circulate a petition seeking registered political party status beginning no earlier than
             45      the date of the statewide canvass held after the last regular general election and ending no later
             46      than the February 15 of the year in which the next regular general election will be held; and
             47          (b) file a petition with the lieutenant governor that is signed, with a holographic
             48      signature, by at least 2,000 registered voters on or before February 15 of the year in which a
             49      regular general election will be held.
             50          (3) The petition shall:
             51          [(a) state that the signers are or desire to become members of the designated party or
             52      group;]
             53          [(b) state the name,]
             54          (a) be on sheets of paper 8-1/2 inches long and 11 inches wide;
             55          (b) be ruled with a horizontal line 3/4 inch from the top, with the space above that line
             56      blank for the purpose of binding;
             57          (c) contain the name of the political party and the words "Political Party Registration
             58      Petition" printed directly below the horizontal line;


             59          (d) contain the word "Warning" printed directly under the words described in
             60      Subsection (3)(c);
             61          (e) contain, to the right of the word "Warning," the following statement printed in not
             62      less than eight-point, single leaded type:
             63          "It is a class A misdemeanor for anyone to knowingly sign a political party registration
             64      petition signature sheet with any name other than the person's own name or more than once for
             65      the same party or if the person is not registered to vote in this state and does not intend to
             66      become registered to vote in this state before the petition is submitted to the lieutenant
             67      governor.";
             68          (f) contain the following statement directly under the statement described in Subsection
             69      (3)(e):
             70          "POLITICAL PARTY REGISTRATION PETITION To the Honorable ____,
             71      Lieutenant Governor:
             72          We, the undersigned citizens of Utah, seek registered political party status for ____
             73      (name);
             74          Each signer says:
             75          I have personally signed this petition with a holographic signature;
             76          I am registered to vote in Utah or will register to vote in Utah before the petition is
             77      submitted to the lieutenant governor;
             78          I am or desire to become a member of the political party; and
             79          My street address is written correctly after my name."; and
             80          (g) be vertically divided into columns as follows:
             81          (i) the first column shall appear at the extreme left of the sheet, be 5/8 inch wide, be
             82      headed with "For Office Use Only," and be subdivided with a light vertical line down the
             83      middle;
             84          (ii) the next column shall be 2-1/2 inches wide, headed "Registered Voter's Printed
             85      Name (must be legible to be counted)";
             86          (iii) the next column shall be 2-1/2 inches wide, headed "Holographic Signature of
             87      Registered Voter";
             88          (iv) the next column shall be one inch wide, headed "Birth Date or Age (Optional)";
             89          (v) the final column shall be 4-3/8 inches wide, headed "Street Address, City, Zip


             90      Code"; and
             91          (vi) at the bottom of the sheet, contain the following statement: "Birth date or age
             92      information is not required, but it may be used to verify your identity with voter registration
             93      records. If you choose not to provide it, your signature may not be certified as a valid signature
             94      if you change your address before petition signatures are certified or if the information you
             95      provide does not match your voter registration records.";
             96          (h) have a final page bound to one or more signature sheets that are bound together that
             97      contains the following printed statement:
             98          "Verification
             99          State of Utah, County of ____
             100          I, _______________, of ____, hereby state that:
             101          I am a Utah resident and am at least 18 years old;
             102          All the names that appear on the signature sheets bound to this page were signed by
             103      persons who professed to be the persons whose names appear on the signature sheets, and each
             104      of them signed the person's name on the signature sheets in my presence;
             105          I believe that each has printed and signed the person's name and written the person's
             106      street address correctly, and that each signer is registered to vote in Utah or will register to vote
             107      in Utah before the petition is submitted to the lieutenant governor.
             108          ______________________________________________________________________
             109          (Signature)            (Residence Address)                (Date)"; and
             110          (i) be bound to a cover sheet that:
             111          (i) identifies the political party's name, which may not exceed four words, and
             112      [identify] the emblem of the party [or group];
             113          [(c) state] (ii) states the process that the organization will follow to organize and adopt
             114      a constitution and bylaws; and
             115          [(d) be] (iii) is signed by a filing officer, who agrees to receive communications on
             116      behalf of the organization.
             117          (4) The filing officer described in Subsection (3)(i)(iii) shall ensure that the person in
             118      whose presence each signature sheet is signed:
             119          (a) is at least 18 years old;
             120          (b) meets the residency requirements of Section 20A-2-105 ; and


             121          (c) verifies each signature sheet by completing the verification bound to one or more
             122      signature sheets that are bound together.
             123          (5) A person may not sign the verification if the person signed a signature sheet bound
             124      to the verification.
             125          [(4)] (6) The lieutenant governor shall:
             126          (a) determine whether the required number of voters appears on the petition;
             127          (b) review the proposed name and emblem to determine if they are "distinguishable"
             128      from the names and emblems of other registered political parties; and
             129          (c) certify the lieutenant governor's findings to the filing officer [of the group]
             130      described in Subsection (3)(i)(iii) within 30 days of the filing of the petition.
             131          [(5)] (7) (a) If the lieutenant governor determines that the petition meets the
             132      requirements of this section, and that the proposed name and emblem are distinguishable, [he]
             133      the lieutenant governor shall authorize the filing officer described in Subsection (3)(i)(iii) to
             134      organize the prospective political party.
             135          (b) If the lieutenant governor finds that the name, emblem, or both are not
             136      distinguishable from the names and emblems of other registered political parties, the lieutenant
             137      governor shall notify the filing officer that the filing officer has seven days to submit a new
             138      name or emblem to the lieutenant governor.
             139          [(6)] (8) A registered political party may not change its name or emblem during the
             140      regular general election cycle.
             141          (9) (a) It is unlawful for any person to:
             142          (i) knowingly sign a political party registration petition:
             143          (A) with any name other than the person's own name;
             144          (B) more than once for the same political party; or
             145          (C) if the person is not registered to vote in this state and does not intend to become
             146      registered to vote in this state before the petition is submitted to the lieutenant governor; or
             147          (ii) sign the verification of a political party registration petition signature sheet if the
             148      person:
             149          (A) does not meet the residency requirements of Section 20A-2-105 ;
             150          (B) has not witnessed the signing by those persons whose names appear on the political
             151      party registration petition signature sheet; or


             152          (C) knows that a person whose signature appears on the political party registration
             153      petition signature sheet is not registered to vote in this state and does not intend to become
             154      registered to vote in this state.
             155          (b) Any person violating this Subsection (9) is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
             156          (c) The attorney general or the county attorney shall prosecute any violation of this
             157      Subsection (9).
             158          Section 2. Section 20A-9-502 is amended to read:
             159           20A-9-502. Certificate of nomination -- Contents -- Circulation -- Verification --
             160      Criminal penalty.
             161          (1) The candidate shall:
             162          (a) prepare a certificate of nomination in substantially the following form:
             163          "State of Utah, County of ______________________________________________
             164          I, ______________, declare my intention of becoming an unaffiliated candidate for the
             165      political group designated as ____ for the office of ____. I do solemnly swear that I can
             166      qualify to hold that office both legally and constitutionally if selected, and that I reside at ____
             167      Street, in the city of ____, county of ____, state of Utah, zip code ____, phone ____, and that I
             168      am providing, or have provided, the required number of holographic signatures of registered
             169      voters required by law; that as a candidate at the next election I will not knowingly violate any
             170      election or campaign law; I will file all campaign financial disclosure reports as required by
             171      law; and I understand that failure to do so will result in my disqualification as a candidate for
             172      this office and removal of my name from the ballot.
             173     
__________________________________________

             174     
Subscribed and sworn to before me this ______(month\day\year).

             175     
__________________________________________

             176     
Notary Public (or other officer

             177     
qualified to administer oaths)"; [and]

             178          (b) [attach] bind signature sheets to the certificate that [contain a place for the
             179      registered voter's holographic signature, a place for the registered voter to print the registered
             180      voter's name, and a place for the registered voter's address.]:
             181          (i) are printed on sheets of paper 8-1/2 inches long and 11 inches wide;
             182          (ii) are ruled with a horizontal line 3/4 inch from the top, with the space above that line


             183      blank for the purpose of binding;
             184          (iii) contain the name of the proposed candidate and the words "Unaffiliated Candidate
             185      Certificate of Nomination Petition" printed directly below the horizontal line;
             186          (iv) contain the word "Warning" printed directly under the words described in
             187      Subsection (1)(b)(iii);
             188          (v) contain, to the right of the word "Warning," the following statement printed in not
             189      less than eight-point, single leaded type:
             190          "It is a class A misdemeanor for anyone to knowingly sign a certificate of nomination
             191      signature sheet with any name other than the person's own name or more than once for the
             192      same candidate or if the person is not registered to vote in this state and does not intend to
             193      become registered to vote in this state before the county clerk certifies the signatures.";
             194          (vi) contain the following statement directly under the statement described in
             195      Subsection (1)(b)(v):
             196          "Each signer says:
             197          I have personally signed this petition with a holographic signature;
             198          I am registered to vote in Utah or intend to become registered to vote in Utah before the
             199      county clerk certifies my signature; and
             200          My street address is written correctly after my name.";
             201          (vii) contain horizontally ruled lines, 3/8 inch apart under the statement described in
             202      Subsection (1)(b)(vi); and
             203          (viii) be vertically divided into columns as follows:
             204          (A) the first column shall appear at the extreme left of the sheet, be 5/8 inch wide, be
             205      headed with "For Office Use Only," and be subdivided with a light vertical line down the
             206      middle;
             207          (B) the next column shall be 2-1/2 inches wide, headed "Registered Voter's Printed
             208      Name (must be legible to be counted)";
             209          (C) the next column shall be 2-1/2 inches wide, headed "Holographic Signature of
             210      Registered Voter";
             211          (D) the next column shall be one inch wide, headed "Birth Date or Age (Optional)";
             212          (E) the final column shall be 4-3/8 inches wide, headed "Street Address, City, Zip
             213      Code"; and


             214          (F) at the bottom of the sheet, contain the following statement: "Birth date or age
             215      information is not required, but it may be used to verify your identity with voter registration
             216      records. If you choose not to provide it, your signature may not be certified as a valid signature
             217      if you change your address before petition signatures are certified or if the information you
             218      provide does not match your voter registration records."; and
             219          (c) bind a final page to one or more signature sheets that are bound together that
             220      contains the following printed statement:
             221          "Verification
             222          State of Utah, County of ____
             223          I, _______________, of ____, hereby state that:
             224          I am a Utah resident and am at least 18 years old;
             225          All the names that appear on the signature sheets bound to this page were signed by
             226      persons who professed to be the persons whose names appear on the signature sheets, and each
             227      of them signed the person's name on the signature sheets in my presence;
             228          I believe that each has printed and signed the person's name and written the person's
             229      street address correctly, and that each signer is registered to vote in Utah or will register to vote
             230      in Utah before the county clerk certifies the signatures on the signature sheet.
             231          ______________________________________________________________________
             232          (Signature)            (Residence Address)                (Date)".
             233          (2) (a) The candidate shall circulate the nomination petition and ensure that the person
             234      in whose presence each signature sheet is signed:
             235          (i) is at least 18 years old;
             236          (ii) meets the residency requirements of Section 20A-2-105 ; and
             237          (iii) verifies each signature sheet by completing the verification bound to one or more
             238      signature sheets that are bound together.
             239          (b) A person may not sign the verification if the person signed a signature sheet bound
             240      to the verification.
             241          (3) (a) It is unlawful for any person to:
             242          (i) knowingly sign a certificate of nomination signature sheet:
             243          (A) with any name other than the person's own name;
             244          (B) more than once for the same candidate; or


             245          (C) if the person is not registered to vote in this state and does not intend to become
             246      registered to vote in this state before the county clerk certifies the signatures; or
             247          (ii) sign the verification of a certificate of nomination signature sheet if the person:
             248          (A) does not meet the residency requirements of Section 20A-2-105 ;
             249          (B) has not witnessed the signing by those persons whose names appear on the
             250      certificate of nomination signature sheet; or
             251          (C) knows that a person whose signature appears on the certificate of nomination
             252      signature sheet is not registered to vote in this state and does not intend to become registered to
             253      vote in this state.
             254          (b) Any person violating this Subsection (3) is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
             255          (c) The attorney general or the county attorney shall prosecute any violation of this
             256      Subsection (3).
             257          (4) (a) The candidate shall submit [it] the petition and signature sheets to the county
             258      clerk for certification when the petition has been completed by:
             259          (i) at least 1,000 registered voters residing within the state when the nomination is for
             260      an office to be filled by the voters of the entire state; or
             261          (ii) at least 300 registered voters residing within a political division or at least 5% of
             262      the registered voters residing within a political division, whichever is less, when the
             263      nomination is for an office to be filled by the voters of any political division smaller than the
             264      state.
             265          (b) In reviewing the petition, the county clerk shall count and certify only those persons
             266      who signed the petition with a holographic signature who:
             267          (i) are registered voters within the political division that the candidate seeks to
             268      represent; and
             269          (ii) did not sign any other certificate of nomination for that office.
             270          (c) The candidate may supplement or amend the certificate of nomination at any time
             271      on or before the filing deadline.





Legislative Review Note
    as of 10-26-11 7:02 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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