SALT LAKE CITY — The way Utahns cast their ballots in elections could look different after a bill passed a House committee on Tuesday.
"The majority of Americans and majority of Utahns believe that folks should show their ID when they vote," said Rep. Jefferson Burton, R-Salem.
That’s what his bill HB300 would do. It mandates that people have to show their ID when they drop their ballot in the mail, or at a ballot drop box with two or more poll workers on site.
"A signature does not equate to voter ID," said Rep. Michael Petersen, R-North Logan.
The bill was heard in the House Government Operations Committee.
The sponsor says this would ensure that only registered voters are casting their ballots, county clerks won't have to verify signatures or reach out to people whose signatures don’t match, and the public would get results quicker on election night.
"This notion that we need to instill voter confidence in the voting process. I’m an older person; I remember when I was younger, it was never a question. I think most people felt safe and secure with voting. I hear a lot from people that I talk to that are concerned about that idea of somebody voting who maybe shouldn’t be voting,” said Burton.
But, people who oppose the bill say there is no need for it.
"This system has improved voter turnout by nearly 30 percent. A hybrid solution is certainly going to reverse our participation rate and so I ask, what is the problem House Bill 300 is trying to solve? Is it fraud? There’s really no evidence that justifies dismantling or creating a hybrid system,” said Helen Moser with the League of Women Voters Utah.
There are concerns about helping those who might be elderly or disabled, or those who live in spread-out rural communities, to cast their ballot. Rep. Burton said he is working on ways to address all those needs. People can still receive their ballot in the mail and fill it out at home.
Brian McKenzie is the Davis County Clerk and he did not take a side.
"The majority of the clerks do have some concerns with this bill and the potential impact that it has on voters, how it would be implemented, the logistics of it, and cost," he said.
The bill passed committee 9-4 and now goes to the full House for consideration.
"We're committed to turning out a bill that will make our voting better and more secure, but not overly egregious on people's time,” added Burton.
Senate Republican leaders have signaled they are not exactly supportive of these election bills. They are planning their own legislation on election security and voter access.
