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- Sen. Mike Lee supports a proposal to change Utah's mail-in ballot system, requiring in-person returns and voter ID.
- The bill, backed by state Republicans, aims to enhance election security, citing audits showing issues with signatures and voter rolls.
SALT LAKE CITY — Sen. Mike Lee is backing a proposal to change how Utah administers its elections as state lawmakers seek to address perceived weaknesses in its vote-by-mail system.
Under a proposed bill making its way through the Utah legislature, state Republicans are looking to make substantial changes to Utah election laws by requiring mail-in ballots to be returned in person to polling locations. The changes would also require voters to present some form of voter identification before being accepted by election workers.
"Utah is one of the reddest states in the nation. We should be a leader in election security," Lee said in a post on X. "I wholeheartedly support Utah House Speaker (Mike) Schultz in his effort to ensure that every vote is valid and that (our) ballots are secure."
Utah has operated under a vote-by-mail system since 2013, allowing voters to receive and return their ballots via mail or in ballot drop boxes located around the state. The state also provides in-person voting stations for those who prefer to do so on Election Day.
The new bill, titled Amendments to Election Law, would alter current law to still distribute ballots to registered voters through the mail — but would require an in-person return. The proposal outlines some exceptions, including for military or overseas voters as well as those who apply for a mail-in ballot in a "timely" manner.
The bill would still allow for voters to return ballots to drop boxes but only if the location is "attended by two or more poll workers."
The possible change to election law comes after an audit released in October showed more than 4% of signatures used for primary qualifications were incorrectly counted or rejected. Another audit conducted by the state released in December identified inaccurate voter rolls and a lack of statutory compliance by some county clerks.
State lawmakers also pointed to the 2nd Congressional District GOP primary last year when several hundred ballots were rejected with a late postmark. Much of that was due to Postal Service delays concerning the Las Vegas distribution center.
"We're not against the vote by mail overall, we just think there's a better way to do it," Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz told the combined Deseret News and KSL editorial boards last month.
Schultz cited a Pew Research Center poll from January 2024 that found 81% of U.S. adults supported requiring people to show government-issued photo identification to vote.
The bill is currently making its way through the state Legislature during its 45-day legislative session. It has not yet been scheduled for a vote.
