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Committee unanimously backs signature‑gathering verification bill with voter notifications

Government Operations Committee · November 19, 2025

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Summary

The committee voted unanimously to favorably recommend a bill standardizing signature verification forms, requiring online training for circulators, and directing county clerks to notify petition signers by text and email beginning July 1, 2027.

Committee staff presented a bill standardizing circulator verification language across petition types, requiring the lieutenant governor’s office to develop an online training for signature gatherers, and mandating that election officials send text and email notifications to signers beginning July 1, 2027. Michael Cipriano summarized that county clerks could retain signature packets for initiatives and referenda (instead of forwarding them to the lieutenant governor) while certifying statistical information.

Ryan Kelly, director of elections in the lieutenant governor’s office, said the changes would improve transparency and that new voter registration software planned for 2027 should reduce text-notification costs. Public commenters, including Catherine Bealey of the League of Women Voters and Mary Anne Christensen of Utah Legislative Watch, supported the changes and sought details about training format; Kelly said training will be an online, free course and a beta exists.

Representative Shepherd moved that the committee favorably recommend the bill as a committee file. After discussion about fiscal notes and implementation timing, the committee voted unanimously to pass the bill out with a favorable recommendation.