POLITICS + GOVERNMENT

Utah lawmaker pushing a bill to mandate voting

Feb 15, 2023, 8:54 AM | Updated: 12:15 pm

FILE: A 2020 general election ballot from Salt Lake County. Photo: Becky Bruce, KSL NewsRadio

BY LINDSAY AERTS
Digital Content Producer

Dave & Dujanovic are talking about the bill now!

SALT LAKE CITY — One Utah lawmaker has a bill that would allow cities to require that you vote. If no vote is cast, citizens can be fined.

Representative Joel Briscoe’s bill would have cities send a letter to those who failed to vote. The city could then charge a $25 fee if there is no explanation as to why you did not vote. The fee could be waived with community service.

Briscoe admits the idea might seem far-fetched.

“How long did it take people to get women to vote? They said it was crazy,” said Briscoe. “It was not crazy. It was not crazy to get Black men to vote. Black women, Native Americans, 18-year-olds… It was not crazy, but in the beginning they said it was.”

It’s unclear if the bill is gaining any traction in the legislature.

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