AI-generated summary, reviewed by Better Utah staff.

When an elected official leaves office mid-term in Utah, this bill changes how that vacancy is filled by tying the replacement to the party the prior officeholder belonged to *when they were last elected or appointed* — not simply the party they were affiliated with at the time they left office. Under current law, the replacement is drawn from the same political party as the outgoing official, but the bill adds the "last elected or appointed" qualifier to all relevant offices, including U.S. senator, state legislators, State Board of Education members, and various county offices. The appointment process itself remains the same: the relevant political party nominates candidates, and the governor or county legislative body makes the final appointment.