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House rejects election law revision that would shift mail-ballot deadline to receipt rather than postmark
Summary
After extended floor debate about postmarks, drop boxes and voter confidence, the Utah House on March 3, 2017, voted 26–45 to defeat first substitute H.B. 314, a bill that would have clarified that a mail ballot is timely only if received by the election officer by Election Day rather than relying on a postal postmark.
Representative Tim Stratton, sponsor of first substitute H.B. 314, told colleagues the bill would clarify when mail ballots are valid and shift responsibility to voters to ensure ballots are received by election officers by Election Day. Stratton said the change responds to confusion in recent election cycles and cited a figure that roughly 57,000 ballots statewide were involved in timing questions during the last cycle.
"What House Bill 314 does is it establishes firmly this issue and clarifies it in an important way," Stratton said, arguing the…
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