The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Utah prohibits wireless voting equipment and creates selection committee for new systems
Last action · March 7, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Paul Cutler and 1 other
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Does
Utah law now requires all state voting equipment—excluding s and official registers—to be incapable of wireless communication, while prohibiting election officers from acquiring equipment outside of a newly selected state system. The legislation establishes a Voting Equipment Selection Committee to assist the lieutenant governor in competitive procurement and sets strict security and paper-record standards for mechanical ballots.
Local election offices must transition to non-wireless voting systems and adhere to centralized procurement rules overseen by a state committee, affecting how jurisdictions purchase and secure future election hardware.
- The measure was passed during the 2026 General Session of the Utah Legislature and signed into law by the governor on March 7, 2026. context
- Utah's lieutenant governor serves as the state's chief election officer with oversight over statewide election administration and equipment certification. 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.
election officers
Election officers must ensure that voting equipment lacks wireless communication capabilities, comply with centralized procurement restrictions, and use certified systems.
voters
Voters are provided permanent paper records of their selections for independent inspection prior to leaving the polling place.
Voting Equipment Selection Committee members
Appointed members serve without compensation but are entitled to per diem and travel expenses while assisting with procurement and evaluation.
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
Does this bill ban all wireless devices in polling places?
Who selects the new voting equipment systems for purchase?
What happens if there is a discrepancy on a paper ballot record during a recount?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
40 actions- Mar 7, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse/ to Governor
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Feb 23, 2026HouseHouse/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Feb 23, 2026Clerk of the HouseEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Feb 9, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 34 earlier actions
- Feb 9, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from House for Enrolling
- Feb 5, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ sent for enrolling
- Feb 5, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Feb 5, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Feb 5, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ returned to House
- Feb 5, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 5, 2026SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
- Feb 4, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd reading
- Feb 4, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
- Jan 29, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Jan 29, 2026SenateSenate/ committee report favorable
- Jan 28, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Jan 23, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Jan 21, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 21, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0026S01
- Jan 21, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0026S01
- Jan 20, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Jan 20, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Jan 20, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Jan 20, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Jan 20, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Jan 20, 2026HouseHouse/ Rules to 3rd Reading Calendar
- Jan 20, 2026House Rules CommitteeBill Substituted by Sponsor in House Rules Comm
- Jan 20, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Jan 17, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0026S01
- Jan 17, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0026S01
- Jan 14, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Jan 14, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Jan 12, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0026
- Jan 12, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0026
- Dec 5, 2025Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0026
- Dec 5, 2025Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0026
- Dec 5, 2025Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Dec 5, 2025Legislative 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.
Centralization of Voting Equipment Procurement
The legislation shifts authority by restricting local election officers from acquiring voting equipment outside of the state-selected system designated by the lieutenant governor and the new committee.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools