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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah directs university research institutes to conduct comprehensive elections study comparing in-person and mail voting
Last action · March 23, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Rep. Burton, Jefferson S. and 2 others
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What This Bill Does
Utah enacts legislation requiring two university institutes at Utah Valley University to conduct a study on election security, ballot drop box identification processes, and , with a final presentation due by October 2026. The measure takes effect on May 6, 2026.
Lawmakers and election officials will receive university-backed research comparing Utah's vote-by-mail system against other states, analyzing potential fraud, and evaluating the logistical impact of requiring ID checks at ballot drop boxes before the October 2026 meeting.
- The Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy and the Center for Constitutional Studies are prominent research and public policy centers housed at Utah Valley University. context
- The Government Operations Interim Committee is a standing legislative committee in Utah responsible for reviewing government administration and election laws between legislative sessions. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University
Assigned the statutory obligation to jointly conduct the elections study and present findings to the interim legislative committee.
Center for Constitutional Studies at Utah Valley University
Assigned the statutory obligation to jointly conduct the elections study and present findings to the interim legislative committee.
Government Operations Interim Committee
Required to receive the completed elections study report at or before the October 2026 interim meeting.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is required to conduct the elections study?
What specific topics must the study cover regarding voting methods?
When and where must the study results be presented?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
50 actions- Mar 23, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 12, 2026HouseHouse/ to Governor
- Mar 12, 2026HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 11, 2026HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 11, 2026Clerk of the HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 44 earlier actions
- Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from House for Enrolling
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
- Mar 6, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ concurs with Senate amendment
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
- Mar 5, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ to House with amendments
- Mar 5, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ substituted
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ uncircled
- Mar 5, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0311S02
- Mar 5, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0311S02
- Mar 5, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0311S02
- Mar 5, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0311S02
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ circled
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
- Mar 5, 2026SenateSenate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
- Mar 5, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0311S01
- Mar 4, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0311S01
- Mar 4, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 4, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 4, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0311S01
- Mar 4, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0311S01
- Feb 9, 2026HouseHouse/ held
- Feb 9, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 9, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Jan 30, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Jan 30, 2026HouseHouse/ committee report favorable
- Jan 29, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Jan 27, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Jan 26, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 25, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0311
- Jan 25, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0311
- Jan 22, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 22, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 21, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0311
- Jan 21, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0311
- Jan 21, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Jan 21, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselBill Numbered but not Distributed
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Reference to 2024 Performance Audit
The legislation explicitly mandates incorporation of findings from a previous 2024 performance audit of Utah's election system.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance45How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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