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Legislative vacancies in the Utah House and Senate are currently filled through an internal party process rather than a public election. This bill would change that system so that when a seat becomes vacant, it must instead be filled by a special election, with the governor required to issue a proclamation within seven days setting primary and general election dates that line up with already-scheduled municipal or state elections whenever possible, to save on costs. Political parties would be given a defined window (21 to 28 days) to choose their candidates, either through party conventions and signature-gathering for larger "qualified" parties or through their own internal process for smaller parties, and the bill lays out rules for what happens if a vacancy arises too close to an election date to meet these timelines, in which case the seat may remain vacant until the next regularly scheduled election or a specially called election with legislative funding. If a vacancy occurs or is about to occur while the Legislature is in its annual general session, the governor would be required to immediately appoint a temporary replacement nominated by the departed lawmaker's political party, who would serve only until the special election is completed or the term ends.