Municipal Elections Amendments
SB 127 extends Utah's Municipal Alternate Voting Methods Pilot Project deadline from January 1, 2026, to January 1, 2036, allowing participating municipalities more time to test alternative voting systems. The bill specifically gives cities the option to implement either instant runoff voting or approval voting for local elections, detailing how each method works and determines winners. It affects only municipalities that choose to join the pilot program, with no new funding required. The changes primarily involve technical updates to election code sections governing voting procedures and tie-breaking rules.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 21, 2025
Last action Mar 8, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Introduced
→
Substitute #1
·
5 edits
MODERATE
This bill expands the Municipal Alternate Voting Methods Pilot Project from ending in 2026 to ending in 2036, adds approval voting as an option alongside instant runoff voting, and makes technical updates to tie-breaking procedures and ballot marking rules.
Scope change
The bill now includes approval voting as an additional voting method option for participating municipalities, expanding the pilot project's scope beyond just instant runoff voting.
TIMELINE
Extended the expiration date of the Municipal Alternate Voting Methods Pilot Project from January 1, 2026 to January 1, 2036.
REQUIREMENT
Added approval voting as an alternative voting method option for participating municipalities alongside instant runoff voting.
DEFINITION
Added new definitions for terms related to approval voting and tie-breaking procedures in alternative voting methods.
TECHNICAL
Updated tie-breaking procedures to exclude alternative voting method races from standard tie vote resolution rules.
Revised ballot marking instructions to accommodate approval voting where voters may mark multiple candidates.
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
11
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Jan 24, 2025
Committee
Senate/ to standing committee
upper
Jan 21, 2025
Introduced
Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Todd Weiler
RRepublican
Ask Maddy
·
AI policy assistant
Ask Maddy about SB 127
Scope: UT
Hi! I can help you understand SB 127. What would you like to know?
Try one of these
i
Maddy answers using official bill text and legislative records. Always verify before sharing.
Sources cited inline