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House approves ballot‑placement bill to reduce first‑position advantage
Summary
The House passed First Substitute HB143 to standardize name placement on ballots by having the Lieutenant Governor publish randomized alphabets; sponsors said the change reduces positional bias and adds transparency; the bill passed 65‑6.
The Utah House on Feb. 23 approved First Substitute House Bill 143, which requires the Lieutenant Governor to publish two randomized alphabets that county clerks will use to order candidate names on ballots. Sponsor Representative Eliason said decades of research show a measurable advantage to candidates listed first on ballots.
"There is a definite bias to…
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