New Utah election bill requires last 4 digits of ID and phases in opt-in to vote by mail

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A bill that would usher in several major changes to Utah’s elections was unveiled Tuesday at the Utah legislature. The bill passed a vote on the House floor with 57 supporting votes, and will now be sent to the Senate.

Some of the key changes included in the long-anticipated substitute of H.B. 300 would require voters to use the last four digits of their license or state ID on their ballot, change the deadline for when mailed ballots must be turned in, and (starting in 2028) voters must opt-in to receive a ballot by mail.

“This substitute and this bill will preserve that requirement to vote by mail,” bill sponsor House Rep. Jefferson Burton (R) said on the House Floor Tuesday. “But we’re also going to make our elections more secure by ensuring that ID is provided and shown, whether voting in person or by mail, to better enhance our security of our election process.”

The substitute of H.B. 300 was made public after the original version would have required voters to return ballots in person, show ID, and staff ballot drop boxes. That bill has been on hold for weeks while the House and Senate negotiated, as the Senate was leery of voters having to return ballots in person.

“We want voting [to be] as easy as possible without cheating, but we also wanted to make sure we enhance security,” said the bill’s Senate sponsor, Mike McKell (R – Spanish Fork), talking to reporters about the new version.

Voter ID requirements

According to that new version of the bill, voters will be required to provide an ID or a state ID number, in order to vote. This process would begin in 2026, should the bill pass.

“The identity of a voter who returns a ballot by mail will be confirmed by signature
comparison and the last four digits of the voter’s primary photo identification number,” the bill states.

For voters who don’t have an ID or can’t get one, the bill updates a process to make that available and free.

But, if a person can’t get a photo ID for approved reasons — like a disability or being homebound — a voter can present two forms of approved ID, such as a social security card and a bank statement.

Opt-in to vote by mail starting in 2028

If the bill passes, ballots will no longer be automatically mailed to active registered voters, starting in 2028. Voters will be informed by mail that they need to opt-in to vote by mail.

“For an election held on or after January 1, 2028, a voter will not receive a ballot by mail unless the voter requests to receive ballots by mail,” the bill states.

Once opted in, voters will have eight years until they need to opt in again.

Voters will be able to opt-in at a county clerk’s office (or on the county clerk’s website) up until 2028, Burton explained. Starting in 2028, Burton said voters will renew their opt-in decision every eight years (when they renew their driver’s license) or when registering a new vehicle.

No more postmarking deadline

The bill also gets rid of the postmark deadline for mailed ballots, swapping it instead for when ballots must be received by county clerks.

“A ballot that is mailed must be received by the election officer on or before 8 p.m. on election day,” the bill states. Ballots returned to a dropbox still have until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Opposition to the bill

House Democrats released a statement via social media about their opposition to the bill, saying, in part, that it would “impose unnecessary barriers to voter registration” and opt out millions of residents from voting by mail.

“Despite bipartisan opposition, this bill creates confusion for voters, county clerks, and post offices across Utah,” the statement reads.

House Democrats expressed concern for how the bill would affect senior citizens, Utahns with disabilities, and others facing “systemic hardships.”