1     
VOTER AFFILIATION AMENDMENTS

2     
2021 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Jordan D. Teuscher

5     
Senate Sponsor: ____________

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill amends the Election Code relating to a voter's change of political party
10     affiliation.
11     Highlighted Provisions:
12          This bill:
13          ▸     specifies when a voter's designation or change of political party affiliation takes
14     effect.
15     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
16          None
17     Other Special Clauses:
18          None
19     Utah Code Sections Affected:
20     AMENDS:
21          20A-2-107, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 433
22          20A-2-107.5, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2019, Chapter 433
23     

24     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
25          Section 1. Section 20A-2-107 is amended to read:
26          20A-2-107. Designating or changing party affiliation -- Times permitted.
27          (1) The county clerk shall:
28          (a) except as provided in Subsection (3), record the party affiliation designated by the
29     voter on the voter registration form as the voter's party affiliation; or
30          (b) if no political party affiliation is designated by the voter on the voter registration
31     form:
32          (i) except as provided in Subsection (1)(b)(ii), record the voter's party affiliation as the
33     party that the voter designated the last time that the voter designated a party on a voter
34     registration form, unless the voter more recently registered as "unaffiliated"; or
35          (ii) record the voter's party affiliation as "unaffiliated" if the voter:
36          (A) did not previously designate a party;
37          (B) most recently designated the voter's party affiliation as "unaffiliated"; or
38          (C) did not previously register.
39          (2) (a) Any registered voter may designate or change the voter's political party
40     affiliation by complying with the procedures and requirements of this Subsection (2).
41          (b) A registered voter may designate or change the voter's political party affiliation by
42     filing a signed form with the county clerk that identifies the registered political party with
43     which the voter chooses to affiliate[, during any period except the following:].
44          [(i) the period beginning on the day after the voter registration deadline and continuing
45     through the date of the regular primary election; and]
46          [(ii) the period beginning on the day after the voter registration deadline and continuing
47     through the date of the presidential primary election.]
48          (c) Except as provided in Subsection (2)(d), a signed form designating or changing a
49     voter's political party affiliation takes effect when the county clerk receives the signed form.
50          (d) In an even-numbered year, a form described in Subsection (2)(c) received by the
51     county clerk on or after January 1 takes effect on the day after that year's regular primary
52     election if the form changes a registered voter's:
53          (i) affiliation with one political party to affiliate with another political party; or
54          (ii) unaffiliated status to affiliation with a political party.
55          (3) In an even-numbered year, if a voter requests that the voter's name be removed
56     from the official register under Section 20A-2-305 and then submits a voter registration form to
57     the office of a county clerk before that year's regular primary election, the voter's political party
58     affiliation, whether designated on the voter registration form or submitted in accordance with
59     Subsection (2), takes effect on the day after that year's regular primary election.
60          Section 2. Section 20A-2-107.5 is amended to read:
61          20A-2-107.5. Designating or changing party affiliation -- Regular primary
62     election and presidential primary election.
63          [(1)] At any regular primary election or presidential primary election:
64          [(a)] (1) each county clerk shall provide change of party affiliation forms to the poll
65     workers for each voting precinct within the county; and
66          [(b)] (2) subject to Subsection 20A-2-107(2)(d), any registered voter who is classified
67     as "unaffiliated" may affiliate with a political party by completing the form and giving it to the
68     poll worker.
69          [(2) An unaffiliated voter who affiliates with a political party as provided in Subsection
70     (1)(b) may vote in that party's primary election.]