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Protect Vote By Mail
As you may know, Utah is a national leader of vote-by-mail. More than two decades ago, our elected officials started using mail-in ballots as a way of increasing voter participation, especially in rural areas.
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Today, we see legislative leadership try to undo that. Recently introduced House Bill 300 would end vote by mail as we know it. Voters would be required to return the ballots that are mailed to them in person on or before Election Day, with a government issued ID. If you cannot return your ballot by mail, you cannot call it vote-by-mail.
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Already rural Utahns lack resources for voting, making vote-by-mail an obvious solution. Rural Utahns will have to drive the farthest distances to polling locations. County clerks, the elected officials who administer elections, in rural areas often have less resources and staffing which could restrict the hours polls are open in the first place, effectively limiting election participation for anyone that lacks a flexible schedule. HB 300 would also increase wait times, creating long lines, for casting ballots. Anyone in Utah relying on vote-by-mail to cast their ballot would be disenfranchised by HB 300.
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Vote by email is extremely popular in Utah: More than 96% of ballots cast in recent Utah elections were vote-by-mail ballots.
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Utahns believe vote-by-mail is secure: 75% of Utahns said they are confident that votes cast by mail in Utah are counted as voters intended.
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The implementation of vote-by-mail in Utah dramatically improved voter turnout rates and reversed declining trends - by around 30%.
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Utah has more than 20 election security measures in place at the state and local levels to protect election integrity and ensure that every ballot is counted accurately. We trust the post office with our most sensitive personal and financial information - why not our ballots?