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When a Utah elected official leaves office before their term ends, current law generally requires the replacement to come from the same political party as the departing officeholder, with party leaders nominating candidates and the governor or county legislative body making the final appointment. This bill would clarify that the relevant party affiliation is the party the official belonged to at the time they were "last elected or appointed" to that office, rather than simply whichever party they were affiliated with when they left office—closing a potential gap for officials who may have changed parties during their term. This change would apply to vacancies in the U.S. Senate, state legislative seats, the State Board of Education, and various county offices, while leaving the basic appointment process—party nomination followed by gubernatorial or county legislative body appointment—unchanged. The bill also makes related technical updates to campaign finance reporting deadlines tied to these vacancy-filling procedures.