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House expands election‑day registration pilot to early voting period for participating counties
Summary
The House passed HB219 to allow participating county clerks to accept election‑day voter registration during early voting as part of a three‑year pilot; sponsor Representative Chavez‑Houck said five counties participated in year one with about 1,222 registrants statewide in those counties; the bill passed 63–2.
Representative Michelle Chavez‑Houck sponsored HB219 to amend the existing three‑year pilot that allows county clerks to opt into election‑day voter registration using provisional ballots. She said five counties—Davis, Kane, Sanpete, Salt Lake and Weber—participated in the pilot and about 1,222 voters used the option statewide.
Chavez‑Houck told colleagues the bill corrects an oversight from the prior year by explicitly allowing the pilot process during the early voting period. Participating counties will validate provisional ballots during the canvass to confirm eligibility, duplicate ballots, and precinct residence before counting.
Floor supporters stressed the pilot’s purpose is to increase voter participation. Representative Fred Cox said the measure helps get more people to vote and noted counts of provisional ballots in his area. Representative Handy also expressed support after discussing trends with election officials.
The sponsor noted the pilot sunsets Jan. 1, 2017, allowing data collection across municipal and presidential-cycle elections. The House approved HB219 63–2; the bill will be transmitted to the Senate for consideration.
What happens next: Participating county clerks that opt into the pilot may accept provisional ballots during early voting; clerks must validate registrations during canvass procedures and report outcomes under existing practice.
