Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections Absentee Voting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House votes 69-1 to pass no‑excuse absentee ballot bill after amendment
Summary
The Utah House passed an amended House Bill 9 to allow no‑excuse absentee voting and give county clerks an option to administer small precincts entirely by absentee ballot; the amendment clarified timing and information-release rules. The bill will be sent to the Senate.
Representative Agard moved to uncircle House Bill 9 and described it as a no‑excuse absentee voting bill that would allow any registered voter to use an absentee ballot and would let county clerks administer a precinct entirely by absentee ballot where 500 or fewer voters are registered. He said the change grew out of summer interim work and county clerk input.
Representative Dougal offered Amendment No. 2 (dated Jan. 23) to clarify the dates provided on absentee ballots and to change timing for public availability of tracking information from 24 hours to "one business day after its receipt in the clerk's office." Agard treated the amendment as friendly; the House adopted the amendment without recorded opposition.
During debate, Representative Goodfellow described districts that were forced to vote by mail after reapportionment and reported turnout as high as 73 percent in some small precincts, arguing the bill would make voting easier. Representative Pace said the measure would reduce lines and ease the transition to new voting equipment and praised the bill's tracking safeguards. Representative Ferry questioned raising the precinct threshold from 300 to 500 registered voters and asked for verification of the numbers; Agard responded that rural clerks favored the change to reduce costs.
The House voted on House Bill 9 as amended; the clerk recorded 69 yes votes and 1 no vote. The bill passed this chamber and will be forwarded to the Senate for consideration.
