Utah ballot bill addressing postmark deadlines fails to advance

SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that would have revamped postmark deadlines for Utah ballots won’t make it to the state Legislature in January after all.

Known as the Ballot Counting and Dropbox Amendments, the bill addresses concerns over whether post offices can process mail-in ballots quickly enough.

Utah law says mail-in ballots must be postmarked no later than the day before the election to count. 

According to KSL.com, the bill would prevent counting mail-in ballots that arrive after polls close on Election Day. 

The proposal has raised controversy among lawmakers and the public, especially regarding its impact on rural voters.

During public comment, Nat William, Democracy Policy Associate with Stewardship Utah, expressed concerns about voters who face long distances to reach drop boxes.

“People who have disabilities, who are elderly, who don’t have access to transportation, some rural voters don’t have access to transportation,” said William. The bill failed to advance out of committee, which means postmark rules will stay the way they are now. But the legislature could consider similar bills when they get to work in January.

Eric Cabrera is a reporter for KSL NewsRadio.

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