The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Utah HB 602 moves local school board elections to odd-numbered years
Last action · March 6, 2026: House/ filedSponsor: Anthony Loubet
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What This Bill Proposed
This bill moves local school board primary and general elections from even-numbered years to coincide with municipal election dates in odd-numbered years starting January 1, 2027. It modifies candidate filing deadlines, adjusts election cancellation rules for uncontested races, and extends the terms of certain sitting school board members by one year to align with the new schedule.
Aligning school board races with municipal cycles changes voter turnout patterns and consolidates administrative costs for local governments conducting elections in odd-numbered years.
- Local school board elections in Utah have historically been tied to the even-numbered year regular general election schedule. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Local school board members
Their election schedule is moved to odd-numbered years and their current terms are extended by one year.
County clerks
They must administer local school board elections and candidate filings under the new odd-numbered year timeline.
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 happens to current school board members' terms during the transition?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · introduced in the House.
Procedural history
11 actions- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ filed
- Mar 6, 2026HouseHouse/ strike enacting clause
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Mar 2, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for HB0602
- Mar 2, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for HB0602
- Feb 26, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
Show 5 earlier actions
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Feb 26, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for HB0602
- Feb 26, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for HB0602
- Feb 26, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Feb 26, 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.
Transition from Even to Odd Year Elections
The bill systematically moves school board elections away from congressional and presidential election years to municipal election years.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy30Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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