An end to universal mail-in voting in Utah could soon be in sight if a new bill receives support from the state’s governor.
The GOP-controlled state legislature in Utah has approved a bill that would end universal mail-in voting and implement stronger voter-identification requirements.
If the new bill comes into force, voters who wish to receive mail-in ballots must opt in, rather than having ballots sent to them automatically. Anyone returning a ballot by mail or through a drop-box will also be required to provide the last four digits of their driver’s license, state ID or social-security number.
Eight states—California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and Washington State—as well as Washington DC all allow elections to be conducted by mail. Utah’s voter-identification laws are currently among the most lax of any state with ID requirements.
The new bill passed the Utah House with a veto-proof majority and fell short of a veto-proof majority in the Senate. It now falls to Governor Spencer Cox to sign the bill.
Governor Cox has already signalled his support. “I think it’s a brilliant bill,” he said.
The bill received unanimous rejection from Democrats in the state legislature.
Democrat State Sen. Nate Blouin told the Associated Press that Republicans were “conspiracy thinking” about election safety.
Opponents of the bill are already claiming it is a threat to “voter access.”
“This bill is unnecessary and creates barriers to voting,” a Democrat lawmaker said.
