HB 311

 Enrolled Copy  H.B. 311
1Elections Study
                                         2026 GENERAL SESSION
                                               STATE OF UTAH
                                    Chief Sponsor: Jefferson S. Burton
                                     Senate Sponsor: Michael K. McKell
2
3  LONG TITLE
4  General Description:
5      This bill directs the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University
6  and the Center for Constitutional Studies at Utah Valley University to conduct an elections
7  study.
8  Highlighted Provisions:
9      This bill:
10      ▸ directs the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University (the
11  institute) and the Center for Constitutional Studies at Utah Valley University (the center)
12  to conduct an elections study regarding:
13●   the security of in-person voting versus voting by mail; and
14●   best practices for conducting and implementing a process where identification must be
15  presented before depositing a ballot in a ballot drop box; and
16      ▸ directs the institute and the center to present the study to the Government Operations
17  Interim Committee.
18  Money Appropriated in this Bill:
19      None
20  Other Special Clauses:
21      None
22  Utah Code Sections Affected:
23  ENACTS:
24      53H-4-708, Utah Code Annotated 1953
25
26  Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
27Section 1. Section 53H-4-708 is enacted to read:
2853H-4-708 . Election study.
 H.B. 311  Enrolled Copy
29   (1) The institute and the center shall conduct a study to determine:
30(a) the security risks of in-person voting versus voting by mail; and
31(b) the best practices for conducting and implementing a process where identification is
32presented and checked at a ballot drop box before a voter may deposit a ballot in the
33ballot drop box.
34   (2) The portion of the study described in Subsection (1)(a) shall include:
35(a) a comparison between Utah and states that don't use voting by mail as the primary
36means of voting;
37(b) an analysis of potential and actual fraud in Utah, and in comparison to other states;
38(c) an analysis of the accuracy or inaccuracy of voter rolls using a vote by mail system
39versus in-person voting; and
40(d) an analysis of related issues raised in 2024-20, A Performance Audit of Utah's
41Election System: Strengthening Election Integrity.
42   (3) The portion of the study described in Subsection (1)(b) shall include information,
43analysis, and recommendations regarding:
44(a) logistics;
45(b) wait times;
46(c) costs; and
47(d) ballot processing.
48   (4) The institute and the center shall present the results of the study described in this section
49to the Government Operations Interim Committee at or before the October 2026 interim
50meeting.
51Section 2. Effective Date.
52   This bill takes effect on May 6, 2026.
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