POLISCOPE
Back to bills
Part ofElection Law →

The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.
HB 361UTAHSession 2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Utah Overhauls Election Notices, Candidate Filing Deadlines, and Voter Roll Maintenance Procedures

Original title: Elections Provisions Amendments

Last action · March 24, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Lisa Shepherd and 2 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

What This Bill Does

Utah enacts HB 361 to comprehensively update election laws, establishing unified candidate declaration periods, shifting deadlines to business days, and barring county clerks' names from official ballots and return envelopes starting January 1, 2027.

Why it matters

The measure alters how election notices are published, standardizes candidate filing windows across political parties and special districts, and changes ballot formatting requirements for local jurisdictions statewide.

Background
  • HB 361 was introduced during the 2026 General Session of the Utah State Legislature to update administrative election provisions across multiple titles of the Utah Code. 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.

Directly affected

County Clerks

County clerks must comply with new notice publication timelines, adjust voter list maintenance procedures, and remove their names from ballots and return envelopes starting in 2027.

Directly affected

Registered Voters

Voters experience updated mail-in ballot procedures, revised voter registration list maintenance rules, and standardized election notice distribution.

Directly affected

Registered Political Parties

Political parties must adhere to unified candidate declaration of candidacy filing periods regardless of party qualification status.

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

What changes regarding a county clerk's name on ballots and return envelopes?
Beginning January 1, 2027, a county clerk's or election officer's name may not appear on official ballot endorsements, return envelopes, or ballots, unless the clerk or officer is listed as a candidate.
How are deceased voters removed from the official register under this law?
County clerks must remove a voter's name from the within five business days after receiving confirmation from the Office of Vital Records, social security administration data, or another reliable source.
What new authority does the Lieutenant Governor receive regarding the State Seal?
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor is granted rulemaking authority to regulate the use and application of the Great Seal of the State of Utah or its replica, and to establish permitted and prohibited uses.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

62 actions
  1. Mar 24, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolled
    Governor Signed
  2. Mar 16, 2026House
    House/ to Governor
  3. Mar 16, 2026House
    House/ received enrolled bill from Printing
  4. Mar 12, 2026House
    House/ enrolled bill to Printing
  5. Mar 12, 2026Clerk of the House
    Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
  6. Mar 10, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
    Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 56 earlier actions
  1. Mar 10, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
    Bill Received from House for Enrolling
  2. Mar 7, 2026House
    House/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
  3. Mar 7, 2026House
    House/ received from Senate
  4. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ to House
  5. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ signed by President/ returned to House
  6. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ received from House
  7. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ to Senate
  8. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ concurs with Senate amendment
  9. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
  10. Mar 6, 2026House
    House/ received from Senate
  11. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ to House with amendments
  12. Mar 6, 2026SenateFloor
    Senate/ passed 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
  13. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ substituted
  14. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Senate/ 2nd & 3rd readings/ suspension
  15. Mar 5, 2026Senate
    Senate/ Rules to 2nd Reading Calendar
  16. Mar 5, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0361S05
  17. Mar 4, 2026Senate
    Senate/ 2nd Reading Calendar to Rules
  18. Mar 4, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0361S05
  19. Mar 4, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0361S05
  20. Mar 4, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0361S05
  21. Mar 4, 2026Senate
    Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
  22. Mar 4, 2026Senate
    Senate/ comm rpt/ substituted
  23. Mar 3, 2026Senate
    Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  24. Mar 3, 2026Senate
    Senate Comm - Substitute Recommendation
  25. Mar 3, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0361S04
  26. Mar 3, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0361S04
  27. Mar 3, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0361S04
  28. Mar 3, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0361S04
  29. Mar 2, 2026SenateCommittee
    Senate/ to standing committee
  30. Mar 2, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  31. Mar 2, 2026Senate
    Senate/ received from House
  32. Mar 2, 2026House
    House/ to Senate
  33. Feb 27, 2026HouseFloor
    House/ passed 3rd reading
  34. Feb 27, 2026House
    House/ 3rd reading
  35. Feb 26, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0361S03
  36. Feb 26, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0361S03
  37. Feb 26, 2026House
    House/ 2nd reading
  38. Feb 26, 2026House
    House/ comm rpt/ substituted
  39. Feb 25, 2026House
    House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
  40. Feb 25, 2026House
    House Comm - Substitute Recommendation
  41. Feb 25, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0361S03
  42. Feb 25, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0361S03
  43. Feb 24, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0361S02
  44. Feb 24, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0361S02
  45. Feb 24, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0361S01
  46. Feb 24, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0361S01
  47. Feb 17, 2026HouseCommittee
    House/ to standing committee
  48. Jan 30, 2026House
    House/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
  49. Jan 30, 2026Released
    LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0361
  50. Jan 28, 2026Version Sponsor
    LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0361
  51. Jan 26, 2026HouseIntroduced
    House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
  52. Jan 26, 2026House
    House/ received bill from Legislative Research
  53. Jan 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal Agency
    LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0361
  54. Jan 23, 2026Legislative Fiscal Analyst
    LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0361
  55. Jan 23, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
  56. Jan 23, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel
    Bill 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

Lisa ShepherdHouse · District 61RepublicanPrimary sponsor
Stephanie PitcherSenate · District 14DemocraticCosponsor
Ron WintertonSenate · District 20RepublicanCosponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Removal of Election Officer Names from Ballots

The legislation institutes a clear transition starting in January 2027 to remove county clerk names from return envelopes and ballot endorsements.

Office of the Lieutenant Governor

Connected Entities

Lisa Shepherd, Stephanie Pitcher, Office of the Lieutenant Governor and 1 more
PersonLisa Shepherd“Chief Sponsor of HB 361 in the House of Representatives”Map →
PersonStephanie Pitcher“Cosponsor of HB 361”Map →
OrganizationOffice of the Lieutenant Governor“State agency granted rulemaking authority regarding the Great Seal and responsib”Map →
PersonRonald M. Winterton“Senate Sponsor of HB 361”Map →

Sources

Open source document

le.utah.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz35
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record