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Senate advances change to initiative signature‑removal process after heated debate
Summary
The Utah Senate passed a second substitute to SB275 to remove the notarization requirement for withdrawing signatures from initiative or referendum petitions, replacing it with a signed statement verified by county clerks; a proposed amendment to limit removals to an April 15 cutoff failed after extended debate.
The Utah Senate on Day 29 passed a second substitute to Senate Bill 275, changing how citizens may remove their signatures from initiative and referendum petitions by eliminating the prior notarization requirement and replacing it with a signed statement containing identifying information for verification.
Sponsor Senator Stevenson said the substitute removes the notarized-signature requirement and creates a simpler verification process: a signed statement requesting removal that includes the signer's address, the last four digits of the signer's Social Security number and the signer's driver's license or state ID number. That information, Stevenson said, will be sufficient for county elections clerks and the lieutenant governor's office to verify and exclude the removed name when counting petition signatures.
The bill prompted an extended floor fight…
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