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House leaders say they’re negotiating election reforms that would add ID at drop‑off while preserving mail ballots
Summary
Leadership described negotiations over Representative Burton’s election bill (HB300) and a hybrid proposal: maintain vote‑by‑mail with an option to opt in but require voters to show ID and personally drop off ballots within a 5–10‑day window; officials cited signature‑verification and voter‑roll audits as drivers of change.
Utah House leadership told reporters they are negotiating election‑reform language with the Senate and elections officers that would preserve popular aspects of vote‑by‑mail while adding in‑person ID verification at ballot drop‑off.
"We actually think that's a really good thing," Speaker 2 said of preserving mail ballots, but added the state has a security concern and needs tighter audits and verification. He described a hybrid approach in which citizens could receive ballots by mail but then have roughly "somewhere between 5 [and] 10 days" to take the paper ballot to a polling location, show ID and drop it off; an "opt in" mail component would remain for those who prefer it.
Speaker 2 said signature verification needs tightening, noting auditors have recommended stronger processes and that stricter checks would increase the number of ballots rejected and require more 'curing' work by election staff. "If you tighten those signatures up, you're going to increase the amount of ballots that are rejected," he said, adding that would create additional staffing and administrative costs.
On voter‑roll accuracy, speakers referenced multiple audits. Speaker 2 said some counties' rolls are "a flat out mess," and urged exploring or evaluating alternatives to ERIC after the lieutenant governor's office reported large removals from voter rolls. At the briefing Speaker 5 noted the lieutenant governor's office said ERIC removal reduced names on rolls by "a quarter of a 1000000 names," a phrasing the briefing did not clarify; Speaker 2 said the legislature will continue to evaluate options and work with county clerks.
Officials repeatedly framed the effort as collaborative: "We've been working collaboratively so far between the elections officers, between the House, between the Senate," Speaker 2 said. They also said funding would be prioritized to support secure implementation; Speaker 2 said postal savings and reallocations could offset some costs but that additional funding might be required.
The briefing did not release final bill text or a timeline for floor action; leaders said negotiations with Senate leadership and election officers were ongoing.
