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Better Utah Bill Tracker
2026 Interim Session

H.B. 361

Signed into LawSupport

Elections Provisions Amendments

HB0361S05 (Substitute)

Rep. Lisa Shepherd
Rep. Lisa ShepherdBill Sponsor
Sen. Ronald M. Winterton
View on le.utah.gov
H.B. 361Signed into LawSupport

Elections Provisions Amendments

House
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Senate
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Governor

What This Bill Does

This bill amends provisions relating to elections.

Key Provisions

This bill:

  • defines terms;
  • modifies the conditions and requirements for a ballot to list a candidate using a variation of the candidate's name or a nickname;
  • modifies, consolidates, recodifies, and adds provisions relating to:
    • notices of offices to be filled at upcoming elections;
    • notices of candidate filing periods;
    • notices of candidates to be included on a ballot and other instructions relating to a ballot;
    • notices of election; and
    • other notices relating to elections;
  • modifies certain declaration of candidacy periods:
    • to coincide with the declaration of candidacy periods for municipal primary elections and municipal general elections; and
    • to make declaration of candidacy periods for all registered political parties the same, regardless of whether the registered political party is a qualified political party;
  • beginning on January 1, 2027, prohibits a county clerk's or election officer's name from:
    • inclusion in the official endorsement for a ballot;
    • inclusion on a return envelope for a ballot; or
    • inclusion on a ballot, except to the extent that the county clerk or election officer is listed as a candidate on the ballot;
  • modifies certain deadlines set at a specific date to instead occur on a business day;
  • modifies and consolidates provisions relating to removing the names of deceased individuals from the list of registered voters;
  • modifies requirements relating to the storage of election material, ballots, and election returns;
  • modifies the deadline to file an objection to a declaration of candidacy;
  • modifies and removes inconsistent provisions relating to participation in a regular primary election;
  • grants rulemaking authority to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor to regulate the use and application of the Great Seal of the State of Utah or a replica of the seal;
  • modifies and clarifies provisions relating to the crime of illegally using or defacing the Great Seal of the State of Utah; and
  • makes technical and conforming changes.

Better Utah Institute's Position

SupportGood Government

Plain-Language Summary

AI-generated summary, reviewed by Better Utah staff.

This wide-ranging elections administration bill makes a series of procedural updates to Utah election law, including standardizing candidate filing deadlines across all registered political parties, tightening the rules around when a candidate's nickname or name variation can appear on a ballot, consolidating and updating public notice requirements for elections, and — starting January 1, 2027 — prohibiting county clerks' and election officers' names from appearing on ballots, return envelopes, or official ballot endorsements unless they are themselves a candidate. It also updates storage requirements for ballots and election materials, adjusts certain deadlines to fall on business days, and gives the Lieutenant Governor's Office new authority to regulate use of the Great Seal of Utah. Most of these changes affect how county clerks and election administrators carry out their work, with the name-removal provision in particular changing what Utah voters will see on their ballot materials starting in 2027.