BETTER UTAH CALLS ON LEGISLATURE TO CHANGE MAIL-IN BALLOT DEADLINE

Salt Lake City, UTToday, the Alliance for a Better Utah called on the Utah Legislature to make changes to Utah’s election law to allow mail-in ballots to be postmarked on election day. This comes, in part, in response to Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox’s ruling, required by existing law, that disqualified 64 ballots in Morgan, Rich, Summit and Duchesne counties because the ballots were postmarked on the day of the June primary election. Despite warnings from the Lt. Governor’s office over the past several years regarding the weaknesses of the existing law, the legislature has failed to amend the law. Better Utah believes this amendment is essential in order to make the election process clear, fair, and easy for every voter.

 

“As our state increasingly moves toward vote-by-mail as a primary form of voting, we need to make sure the process is simple and accessible to every citizen,” said Rachel Sanders, Executive Director of Alliance for a Better Utah. “If we need to educate voters about different voting deadlines, then we have made the process overly complicated with no offsetting benefit. Voting should not be confusing; it should be simple and easy. Just as tax returns can be postmarked as late as tax day, mail-in ballots should be accepted if postmarked on Election Day. No voter should ever feel their voice is not being heard.”

 

Former state legislator and Better Utah board member David Irvine said, “Every vote made on or before Election Day ought to be counted.  To cut off voting by mail on the day before is arbitrary and serves no useful purpose.”

 

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