HB 167 Utah House · 2026 General Session

Signature Collection Modifications

HB 167 modifies Utah's election procedures for verifying signatures on candidate nomination petitions. It requires election officials to post verified signers' names and dates on the lieutenant governor's website within five business days of verification, for 90 days after the primary election. The bill also mandates officials to notify prosecutors if someone claims they didn't sign a petition and clarifies deadlines for voters to request signature removal. These changes directly affect voters who sign nomination petitions and election officials handling signature verification. The bill makes technical updates to Utah Code sections governing primary elections but does not change eligibility rules or funding.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 20, 2026 Last action Mar 7, 2026

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What changed between versions

Introduced → Substitute #1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill modifies nomination petition procedures for Utah's 2026 elections, primarily focusing on signature verification and public posting requirements. The key changes extend the public posting period for verified signatures from 90 days after signature verification to 90 days after the primary election, clarify notification requirements for disputed signatures, and establish standardized deadlines for signature removal requests. These changes aim to improve transparency and provide voters with more time to contest signature validity.

Scope change

The bill applies to all nomination petitions for regular primary elections, qualified political party nominations, and unaffiliated candidate nominations. It specifically coordinates with HB 223 regarding electronic signature collection terminology and procedures.

TIMELINE

Extended the public posting period for verified nomination petition signatures from 90 days after verification to 90 days after the primary election, giving voters more time to review and contest signatures.

Standardized deadlines for signature removal requests to apply uniformly whether signatures were collected manually or electronically, with requests due within three business days of submission.

REQUIREMENT

Clarified that election officials must notify county or district attorneys when a voter disputes their signature on a nomination petition, ensuring proper legal follow-up on potential fraud allegations.

Updated posting requirements to ensure signatures remain publicly accessible for the full 90-day period after the primary election, regardless of when verification occurred.

TECHNICAL

Added coordination clause to align terminology and procedures with HB 223 (Electronic Signature Collection Amendments) for consistency across signature collection processes.

Floor votes

How they voted

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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

House/ comm rpt/ sent to Rules [House Rules Committee]

lower

Mar 3, 2026

Lower · Passed

House Comm - Recommends Returned to Rules [House Government Operations Committee]

lower

Feb 3, 2026

Lower · Passed

House Comm - Held [House Government Operations Committee]

lower

Jan 21, 2026

Committee

House/ to standing committee [House Government Operations Committee]

lower

Jan 20, 2026

Introduced

House/ 1st reading (Introduced)

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors