[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6183023,"mediaKeyId","5100684-3e7a2b2d121356c3ee7ed519f15e98dd","parentId",5100684,"title","Auditors, county clerks and elections officials brief committee on petition signature verification, audits and fraud investigation","audioSeconds",2889,"startMs",6336000,"endMs",9225000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5100684-3e7a2b2d121356c3ee7ed519f15e98dd&start=6336&end=9225","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5100684-3e7a2b2d121356c3ee7ed519f15e98dd/thumbnail_6336000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6183023/Utah/Auditors-county-clerks-and-elections-officials-brief-committee-on-petition-signature-verification-audits-and-fraud-investigation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6183023-581e4c4af5e520d791299945221e0e4b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770548430&Signature=dRlMmIxrlA-jKz-~zOWT-xxBzJx5NJh4HKQOhPAyjBZKJ5~MBIiITDddRb3wjPl4PmIzJJ2~X9sxsxmV8nun8ydv1uCd~VUnNztY8L51RS5g90Mrfz5A3eT5yrqSIOB-ZOk4ehrrCHCwiHJTJ6n1JSdyG3rp49OFBuyVz86PupGyCZDkqLEXwHC~rqWhPoFaYruW4sHXrK76mrEozLpjm3WSR1lsKmx~aPkBS88xkn8OeyUyncsQxgxyuYS05CD-0vG39TgfZJ-LhV3eFJl6WByQ8D2f9aru1EnTHbYMPN29v7yjnUyjlj36YDP5JFObScJFc4FVxcj8rAuQS9zQjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Utah Legislature","date","2025-06-18T00:00:00Z","article","A multi‑agency briefing on June 18 reviewed how Utah verifies signatures for initiatives, referendums and candidate nominating petitions and described recent audits and a criminal‑fraud investigation that examined hundreds of thousands of signatures.

What happened: The Office of Legislative Auditor General (OLAG) sampled signatures from three major candidate petitions and reported non‑zero error rates in verification; OLAG audited 1,000 signatures per candidate to measure false accepts and false rejects. Separately, the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) and county clerks performed a near‑complete manual re‑verification to support a criminal investigation; OSA reviewed about 301,893 of 304,380 submitted signatures (about 99.18%).

Why it matters: Signature gathering and verification procedures determine whether petitions and candidate nominations meet legal thresholds for ballot access or legislative referral. The committee heard that process design, circulator behavior and data quality all affect verification results and public confidence.

Key legal and procedural points: Kirsty Jarvis and Michael Cipriano of the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel reminded members that Utah law allows both electronic and manual signature gathering for initiatives, referendums and candidate petitions and sets numeric thresholds (for example: a statewide initiative submitted to the legislature requires signatures equal to 4% of active voters from at least 26 senate districts; a statewide petition for the ballot requires 8%). Michael Cipriano summarized 2025 legislation: S.B. 164 (passed) requires audits of signature verification, sets verification thresholds (110% verification requirement), allows poll‑watcher‑style observation of verification and improves transparency about verification status; several other bills about public posting of candidate petition names did not pass this year.

Audits and findings: OLAG sampled 1,000 signatures from each of three petition sets and reported candidate‑level error rate estimates (examples discussed during the briefing included an incorrectly validated error rate of 2.4% for one candidate and a higher incorrectly invalidated rate for another candidate). OLAG recommended more controls and transparency; several recommendations (post‑verification audits, chain‑of‑custody, public status tracking) were addressed in S.B. 164.

State Auditor and fraud investigation: The state auditor’s office conducted a full manual reverification tied to a fraud probe, reviewing roughly 301,893 signatures and flagging patterns consistent with circulator‑linked irregularities. Alex Nelson of the State Auditor’s data team described building a secure, auditable review interface and hiring contract reviewers to complete the review quickly. The auditor’s office reported categories of non‑matching signatures (for example, clear no‑matches, packets showing multiple similar lines consistent with in‑house signing, and other data‑entry mismatches) and advised improvements: better signature quality from DMV capture, two‑person data entry, stronger circulator tracking and mandatory circulator training prior to circulation.

Operational and statutory issues raised: Clerks and elections staff confirmed practical controls: circulators must be at least 18 (state law no longer requires them to be Utah residents after prior court guidance); county clerks post signer names for initiatives/referendums and the lieutenant governor posts status updates; S.B. 164 requires 110% verification and audit steps. Officials suggested standardizing circulator affidavit language across petition types, requiring pre‑circulation training and improving chain‑of‑custody practices for packets.

Committee action: Committee members voted to open a committee bill file to pursue additional signature‑verification improvements (motion introduced by Representative Cutler). They also agreed to open committee files on two related House bills (H.B. 457 and H.B. 458) to be considered in the interim.

Next steps: Agency staff, county clerks and auditors offered to work with legislators on drafting technical fixes and training/verification changes before the next session. The group noted enforcement and resource questions remain for future consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Government Operations Interim Committee - June 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Legislative auditors, the state auditor, the lieutenant governor and county clerks reviewed how signature gathering and verification work in Utah, described audit findings and a statewide manual re‑verification that examined roughly 302,000 petition signatures and identified patterns of circulator‑linked fraud and data‑entry problems.","taxTitle","2025 Utah Legislature, Utah Legislature, Utah Legislative Branch, Utah","taxId",78171,"location","Utah","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6183029,"Lieutenant governor’s office moves to digitize apostille service as in‑person demand grows",506,3426000,3932000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5100684-3e7a2b2d121356c3ee7ed519f15e98dd&start=3426&end=3932","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5100684-3e7a2b2d121356c3ee7ed519f15e98dd/thumbnail_3426000.jpg","/articles/6183029/Utah/Lieutenant-governors-office-moves-to-digitize-apostille-service-as-inperson-demand-grows","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6183029-01f7c55612dfa9dd5b3f65f8e8fc0717/orig.mp4?Expires=1770548430&Signature=IBLsEbNoiT4sbTFQZx2tb3l0-6jk-w21uRBaGtdy~AdNCkHYx02-9XfI2okwIHg6IMxMn-cRifByTpyP0KujfTaNsg7N6wFBNUkJTKXe6MRxdLcpSM-M9Q1Vo9x3U~ByfGiM4-6kWZnwI4c2alvC0pcoS~w3N1~vQ3ZpbLah0Qn6PxcVTJ3aFyEUCeuV7ESxH5932SICiBrdnvY~hLHAJsEvgDqF8ktXRc-wBPVNgnPDuX6xdm2cFJiDED-lZtBQD2AuU-lr8frzhQeBsaxzPFMcnr1Hwi-2W0~Ibp2zHxfWNAoM4M7bvMmyFytiifPcRaaUKUUdFi26~AoVsqAZRg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lieutenant Governor’s office told the Government Operations Interim Committee on June 18 that demand for document authentications and apostilles is high and that the office is pursuing a digital apostille platform to reduce in‑person demand and risk of mail loss.

Why it matters: Individuals use authentications and apostilles to have state documents (birth certificates, court records, powers of attorney) recognized for foreign governments. The service is centralized in the Lieutenant Governor’s office and high session demand has created long walk‑in lines and customer frustration.

Volume and operations: Lila, the office manager who oversees authentications, said the office issued about 35,000 authentications in 2024 and had issued roughly 18,000 so far in 2025. The office provides scheduled appointments (10:30 a.m.–1:45 p.m.) and walk‑in hours (2 p.m.–4 p.m.). Processing a visit generally takes 15–20 minutes. The office said mail‑in volume surged during the pandemic and many mailed requests lack tracking; staff encourage customers to use tracked mailing services.

Customer feedback and digital plan: An optional customer survey (141 responses) showed about 87% rated their experience as excellent or good; many negative comments were tied to mail delays. The office said it is issuing an RFP to acquire a platform for digital receipt, issuance and delivery of authenticated documents and noted Utah is one of six U.S. jurisdictions that piloted digital apostilles with the Hague Conference on Private International Law’s apostille standards.

Next steps: The office is pursuing the RFP and cross‑training election staff to handle demand; the goal is to reduce in‑person visits and avoid mail loss. No statutory change was proposed at the meeting; the briefing was informational.","The Lieutenant Governor’s authentication office reported growing volumes of apostilles and described an RFP to pilot digital apostille services; staff said mail processing, walk‑in lines and parking access during session drove interest in a digital option.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6183033,"Legislative study group probes state building costs, lifecycle standards and feasibility funding",382,4518000,4900000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5100684-3e7a2b2d121356c3ee7ed519f15e98dd&start=4518&end=4900","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5100684-3e7a2b2d121356c3ee7ed519f15e98dd/thumbnail_4518000.jpg","/articles/6183033/Utah/Legislative-study-group-probes-state-building-costs-lifecycle-standards-and-feasibility-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6183033-1a08959ec0610a30fd4197a6547a8645/orig.mp4?Expires=1770548430&Signature=jT5n~h0dS6mX4fiEZgJ0xnHEtoxZPVEDvSooVb6YyuAzheQuf~tLK9WfboxP9Wx1NbIt6YNTqi8MP4G-YwkkettPWo~NC1k7o0jittUXIWkk6EyPqCCwv88nP1-Xu7QzykHzpeeXS12uBzmqEDSkle3RKrvIGIzMml4EX2nGVyScj5MfYnCRD2Ep3LQcEfemNC6rFGIsQmM8GsMoJv6fXYUxkpUBtOv9PeLPjfRVDqjUnfYIF37acCOO1CQp4ivUpeV8p0pS159Qs53Y9pPBFeS4gCn6Km5HmRTmQz6ZQ1TSBphfqYzqI5ickftXIYCuUtrEFPl2HexN-qgV6fC80A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Legislators and the Department of Government Operations told the committee on June 18 they have launched a working group to examine construction costs, building lifespan assumptions and procurement practices used by the Division of Facilities Construction and Management (DFCM).

Why it matters: State construction requests and capital‑budget proposals routinely generate questions about why public projects appear more expensive than private projects. The committee heard that a combination of long‑term standards, material and labor shortages and inconsistent feasibility studies can drive up delivered project costs.

What the study covers: Marvin Dodge, who chairs the DFCM review group, said the 24‑member committee includes legislators, architects, engineers and agency customers and met twice monthly starting in March. The review will examine standards (30/50/100‑year lifespans), high‑performance building elements, feasibility study funding and the transparency of what is included in price estimates.

Key details presented: DFCM manages about 200 of the state’s roughly 4,000 facilities, Dodge said. He described a pattern in which early feasibility “ballpark” estimates tend to become the baseline for entire projects even though feasibility studies are often limited; feasibility studies are currently capped at $20,000, a sum that architects said frequently does not cover consultants. The committee saw an illustrative escalation example: a project estimated at $20 million in 2015 would cost roughly $46 million in 2025 because of material and labor escalation.

Discussion points and options: Lawmakers debated whether all state buildings require the same longevity standard. Dodge said some buildings — for example, certain dormitories — may be more cost‑effective if built to shorter life‑cycle standards that match bond amortization and program needs, while others (such as the North Capitol Building) should be designed for a 100‑year life. The group will prepare a “menu” of components and choices so decision‑makers can see what drives the price tag.

Next steps: The working group will report back to the committee in the fall with recommendations, and Dodge said the group may propose statutory or procurement changes to improve transparency and reduce avoidable cost drivers.","A department‑led working group is reviewing construction standards, lifecycle expectations and procurement factors after public concern about rising building costs; feasibility studies, labor and material shortages and long‑term maintenance were central themes.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6183038,"State officials describe expanding AI pilots, risks and election threats as agency use grows",1570,1160000,2730000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5100684-3e7a2b2d121356c3ee7ed519f15e98dd&start=1160&end=2730","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5100684-3e7a2b2d121356c3ee7ed519f15e98dd/thumbnail_1160000.jpg","/articles/6183038/Utah/State-officials-describe-expanding-AI-pilots-risks-and-election-threats-as-agency-use-grows","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6183038-2cbbd0776727646bf6973ebf70bf88ac/orig.mp4?Expires=1770548430&Signature=aPldO1LGz~tgET-z5Tw76zmTMB8YW5CegzoaWGRCYhgkHTnPDuxkpLJhcKEESMfbPxRYvz9VfAER-Osllf0SZxse9zfVLAwXCjlEfGC-2iXXgrADCVrJ2QXspVSP30Ywk2hCuUF7542fpW1KkfM4MnDGJ6DKPkT0h8B3Gfy1axsrZkxguop~PEGW~0sPPivJ382D9wl0toh1Vx-zdawTO1UB5lGWG09Z~Kq7xOtM9s5LrNVYeTaJlKYcuuCq6b8xfZMB7enqAJbmpTVfbWvUOqoRSUPCY3GWbz6hl0Gk6DbkSP~J6ZQap4w-zJu1o1xM5NUg~IhyOzVpdcFcT7lPnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","State technology managers and policy experts briefed the Government Operations Interim Committee on June 18 about expanding artificial intelligence use inside state government, pilot projects for agency call centers and tax services, and risks AI poses to election systems and public information.

“Artificial intelligence is a technology with both tremendous promise and tremendous peril,” Alan Fuller said, summarizing the challenge as agency leaders described pilots, governance and procurement cautions. Officials and outside experts urged careful oversight even as Utah agencies roll out tools intended to boost productivity.

Why it matters: Utah agencies have begun integrating large language and generative AI tools into daily work and customer service. Committee members heard both benefits (efficiency gains, improved drafting and faster retrieval of policy text) and risks (incorrect or hallucinatory outputs, data exposure, disinformation and deepfakes affecting elections). Lawmakers and staff noted recent legislation and audit work aimed at improving signature verification and election integrity.

State programs and use: Marvin Dodge said the state launched Google’s Gemini for executive‑branch employees this year and reported about 146,000 Gemini transactions in the previous four weeks among the state’s 7,500 active Google Workspace users (out of roughly 21,000 executive‑branch employees). DTS reported 42 generative AI projects under consideration and 10 in production; pilots include automated chat‑assistance for call centers and a tax‑commission project that loaded tax code and training materials into candidate chatbots. Dodge described a pilot “bake off” of four vendors where initial correct‑answer rates were about 75% and vendors proposed further refinement toward a 99% target.

Security, procurement and governance: Officials advised caution about vendor claims and data handling. Marvin Dodge and others told the committee that the state checks for FedRAMP or GovRAMP certifications when purchasing AI services and is concerned about startups that do not build in adequate data controls. Committee members asked about workforce effects and possible staff redeployments; Dodge said AI could make employees more productive but acknowledged potential for workforce changes.

Elections and deepfakes: Zachary Boyd, director of Utah’s Office of AI Policy, and Adam Cook‑Hook of the National Conference of State Legislatures reviewed how AI is already used in elections. Boyd said, “by default, we should be very cautious about deploying AI in any election operations because this is such critical social infrastructure.” He described common current uses—signature verification and duplicate‑voter detection—and warned that deepfakes and AI‑generated disinformation could cause rapid, high‑impact harms in campaigns and voting.

Policy responses and standards: Panelists urged two complementary steps: (1) strengthen provenance and content‑credential systems so legitimate publishers can cryptographically label content, and (2) build reliable ways for trustworthy actors (campaigns, election officials, news organizations) to verify themselves. Adam Cook‑Hook outlined options used by states—disclosure requirements, short pre‑election prohibitions and metadata or content‑credential mandates—and noted that 25 states have enacted laws addressing election deepfakes. He also said a proposed federal moratorium in a budget bill could affect state authority for a period.

Next steps: State officials said agencies will continue pilots, refine training for staff, require FedRAMP/GovRAMP‑type assurances for vendor contracts and work with legislative partners on any statutory changes. The Office of AI Policy and other state offices offered to consult on further legislative work.

No formal committee action was taken; members later discussed opening committee files on signature verification and other AI‑related items.","State technology leaders described broad internal use of generative AI, pilot projects for call centers and tax services, and officials and outside experts warned the committee about deepfakes and election integrity risks while urging provenance and identity measures.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6183043,"Utah agencies begin public outreach and technical study to implement state‑endorsed digital ID after SB 260",636,200000,836000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5100684-3e7a2b2d121356c3ee7ed519f15e98dd&start=200&end=836","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5100684-3e7a2b2d121356c3ee7ed519f15e98dd/thumbnail_200000.jpg","/articles/6183043/Utah/Utah-agencies-begin-public-outreach-and-technical-study-to-implement-stateendorsed-digital-ID-after-SB-260","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6183043-7f42cc23427c629cd07061548f9fbdb0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770548430&Signature=Zf~HXsBZvop9EZe28zZcfywdVtcvSjhX5zLOJUG6p5GHL4PeLy1ureokN1mWsoWajP4U0UFzQ4DQpupgynA7laI4qQ3llELCG74C1YYkv6oaOi4nU9agIRUtwjWkp09YfUsq0R5iVMd2SCIy5uGBqmKrYZiOCqDhav55iT~-zOnT4P8KiF-PG5HfjBwjBlbDltrqgmRUofXrqIK6a~-N0heFj9bbpi3MvSepG0tNWffvuKUzL3dIkvT16A~8lorKSwBMHMi03tqKSNe-MUoai9~Ol8UYo3mLMB~n0f6JzMDvGFcNboBM5LmkRytB-l5npV07wA6F6otnUNdE2WAKcw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Department of Government Operations told the Government Operations Interim Committee on June 18 that it is carrying out public engagement, vendor outreach and technical study to implement a state‑endorsed digital identity established this year by Senate Bill 260.

The program, Marvin Dodge, executive director of the Department of Government Operations, said, will follow principles written into law and focus on privacy, guardianship, selective disclosure and issuing a trusted online credential that citizens can control. “Individuals own their own identity,” Dodge said, describing government’s role as verification and endorsement rather than ownership.

Why it matters: SB 260 directs state officials to study how to implement a state‑endorsed credential that can be used online without giving third‑party systems continuous tracking ability. Committee members and department leaders emphasized two near‑term priorities: soliciting public input from across the state (town halls and a request for information to vendors) and returning specific policy, technology and statutory recommendations by the fall.

Details of the process: Dodge said the department has started a speaker series and town halls, including one hosted by Representatives Shepherd and Chevrier; Utah Valley University is preparing white papers to frame technical and policy tradeoffs; and the state will soon issue a request for information to industry vendors. The department is also exploring practical ways to use existing consumer tools (for example, storing a credential in an Apple Wallet) rather than requiring the state to build new consumer apps.

Security debate and approach: Committee members pressed officials about security. Dodge and colleagues noted the state already blocks large volumes of malicious traffic and has resources to help local jurisdictions with cybersecurity. A central debate is architectural: some jurisdictions favor an online verification “phone home” model while Utah officials, led in the discussion by Alan Fuller, argue for a cryptographic approach that enables verification without remote logging. Fuller said, “We can embed in that digital identity an advanced capability to say this is valid and I can check it, without that logging capability,” and that Utah should help shape national and international standards so logging‑based designs do not become the default.

Practical adoption questions: Committee members pressed on real‑world acceptance: for a credential to be useful it must be accepted in mobile wallet ecosystems and by routine verifiers such as law enforcement and state liquor stores. The group discussed how mobile driver’s licenses are currently used in some settings (for example, some airports have special lanes to accept mobile licenses) and emphasized that interoperability and broad acceptance will be essential for the system to work at scale.

Next steps and timeline: The department will continue town halls and vendor outreach through the summer, issue an RFI and report recommendations this fall, including proposals for policies, standards, potential statute changes and cost estimates. No formal actions or votes were taken by the committee on implementation; the item was presented for information and discussion.","The Department of Government Operations outlined this summer’s public engagement, vendor outreach and technical study to implement a state‑endorsed digital identity established by Senate Bill 260, emphasizing privacy, cryptographic approaches and acceptance in digital wallets.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Auditors, county clerks and elections officials brief committee on petition signature verification, audits and fraud investigation

Lieutenant governor’s office moves to digitize apostille service as in‑person demand grows

Legislative study group probes state building costs, lifecycle standards and feasibility funding

State officials describe expanding AI pilots, risks and election threats as agency use grows

Utah agencies begin public outreach and technical study to implement state‑endorsed digital ID after SB 260