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7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill addresses lines at a polling location.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 ▸ requires a county clerk to submit a plan to the lieutenant governor to reduce the
13 amount of time an individual waits in line before the individual can vote at a polling
14 location.
15 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
16 None
17 Other Special Clauses:
18 None
19 Utah Code Sections Affected:
20 AMENDS:
21 20A-5-403, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 297
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23 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
24 Section 1. Section 20A-5-403 is amended to read:
25 20A-5-403. Polling places -- Booths -- Ballot boxes -- Inspections --
26 Arrangements.
27 (1) Each election officer shall:
28 (a) designate polling places for each voting precinct in the jurisdiction; and
29 (b) obtain the approval of the county or municipal legislative body or local district
30 governing board for those polling places.
31 (2) (a) For each polling place, the election officer shall provide:
32 (i) an American flag;
33 (ii) a sufficient number of voting booths or compartments;
34 (iii) the voting devices, voting booths, ballots, ballot boxes, ballot labels, ballot sheets,
35 write-in ballots, and any other records and supplies necessary to enable a voter to vote;
36 (iv) the constitutional amendment cards required by Part 1, Election Notices and
37 Instructions;
38 (v) voter information pamphlets required by Chapter 7, Part 7, Voter Information
39 Pamphlet;
40 (vi) the instruction cards required by Section 20A-5-102; and
41 (vii) a sign, to be prominently displayed in the polling place, indicating that valid voter
42 identification is required for every voter before the voter may vote and listing the forms of
43 identification that constitute valid voter identification.
44 (b) Each election officer shall ensure that:
45 (i) each voting booth is at a convenient height for writing, and is arranged so that the
46 voter can prepare the voter's ballot screened from observation;
47 (ii) there are a sufficient number of voting booths or voting devices to accommodate
48 the voters at that polling place; and
49 (iii) there is at least one voting booth or voting device that is configured to
50 accommodate persons with disabilities.
51 (c) Each county clerk shall provide a ballot box for each polling place that is large
52 enough to properly receive and hold the ballots to be cast.
53 (3) (a) All polling places shall be physically inspected by each county clerk to ensure
54 access by a person with a disability.
55 (b) Any issues concerning inaccessibility to polling places by a person with a disability
56 discovered during the inspections referred to in Subsection (3)(a) or reported to the county
57 clerk shall be:
58 (i) forwarded to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor; and
59 (ii) within six months of the time of the complaint, the issue of inaccessibility shall be
60 either:
61 (A) remedied at the particular location by the county clerk;
62 (B) the county clerk shall designate an alternative accessible location for the particular
63 precinct; or
64 (C) if no practical solution can be identified, file with the Office of the Lieutenant
65 Governor a written explanation identifying the reasons compliance cannot reasonably be met.
66 (4) (a) The municipality in which the election is held shall pay the cost of conducting
67 each municipal election, including the cost of printing and supplies.
68 (b) (i) Costs assessed by a county clerk to a municipality under this section may not
69 exceed the actual costs incurred by the county clerk.
70 (ii) The actual costs shall include:
71 (A) costs of or rental fees associated with the use of election equipment and supplies;
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73 (B) reasonable and necessary administrative costs.
74 (5) The county clerk shall make detailed entries of all proceedings had under this
75 chapter.
76 (6) (a) Each county clerk shall create a line management plan to ensure that the amount
77 of time that an individual waits in line before the individual can vote at a polling location in the
78 county does not exceed 30 minutes.
79 (b) On or before January 1 of each even-numbered year, each county clerk shall submit
80 a new or updated plan described in Subsection (6)(a) to the lieutenant governor.
81 (c) The lieutenant governor shall review each plan submitted under Subsection (6)(b)
82 and consult with the county clerk submitting the plan to improve the plan's effectiveness and
83 ensure the plan is implemented successfully.