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House approves substitute to shift voter pamphlet to online‑first model with opt‑in hard‑copy mailing
Summary
The Utah House passed a second substitute to Senate Bill 19 that moves the statewide voter information pamphlet toward an online‑first distribution, adds prepaid postcards notifying households, and creates an opt‑in mechanism for mailed hard copies; the measure passed 63‑3 and will return to the Senate.
The Utah House on Feb. 9 approved a second substitute to Senate Bill 19, a measure that directs the state to adopt an online‑first delivery of the statewide voter information pamphlet while providing a mailed, prepaid postcard notification and a way for voters to opt in to receive printed copies.
Sponsor Representative Powell said the substitute creates “a printed, prepaid postcard to be given to the voters to provide for a notification that there’s a voter information pamphlet available online,” and that the lieutenant governor’s office helped craft the rollout language. Supporters told the House the substitute adds convenience options — hard copies available at libraries and senior centers — and an opt‑in database for voters who request mailed pamphlets.
Debate on the floor included a sequence of substitutions. Representative Frank offered additional functional provisions in a subsequent substitute, and Representative Powell and other sponsors said the measure balances cost savings and access. Representative Litvak, who said she initially opposed the bill, told the chamber she now supports the second substitute: she praised the measured transition and noted access concerns had been addressed.
Opponents had previously raised concerns about access for populations less likely to use digital resources; sponsors responded by adding provisions requiring printed copies at public pickup points and an opt‑in hard‑copy request process. Representative Powell said the interim committee and the lieutenant governor prioritized protecting “the important right to vote, informed voting, of Utah citizens while moving ourselves to the digital age.”
After floor debate and the substitute sequence, the House passed the second substitute of Senate Bill 19 on a 63‑3 vote. The bill will be returned to the Senate for further consideration and any concurrence on the House substitutions.
What’s next: SB19 goes back to the Senate for consideration of the House’s second substitute.
