House approves tighter absentee/mail-in ballot rules, adds verification for prefilled forms

The Utah House on March 6 approved a second substitute to Senate Bill 24 changing how absentee and mail‑in ballot requests are handled.

Representative Craig Powell, the bill sponsor, said the changes standardize deadlines and form types after “hiccups” in recent voter‑registration drives. The measure sets the deadline to return an absentee ballot request at 14 days after signing or the Thursday before the election, whichever is earlier, and provides two form types: a standard voter‑filled form and a separate form for prefilled applications that must include additional certifications to verify the mailing address and the voter’s intent.

"The most important piece of information that may have been incorrect is the actual mailing address," Powell said, explaining the extra safeguards on prefilled forms. He told colleagues that county clerks and party officials negotiated the form language with input from the lieutenant governor’s office.

Supporters said the changes will reduce errors when organizations prefill forms during registration drives. Representative Notwell said adjustments made between versions resolved county clerk concerns from last summer’s absentee‑ballot efforts. Representative Layton asked whether handwritten forms would increase address‑reading errors; Powell said the Legislature adopted two forms because one is "a more streamlined process and one is a more deliberate process," and county clerks preferred separate treatment for prefilled forms.

After discussion, the House replaced the first substitute with the second substitute and passed SB 24 by voice and recorded vote (71‑0). The bill will be returned to the Senate for further consideration.

Next steps: the House returned the bill to the Senate for concurrence and any enrolling procedures; county election officials would implement the new forms and deadlines if the measure becomes law.