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2025 bills / H.B. 263

H.B. 263 Election Record Amendments (2025)

Became lawWritten by Rep. Norman K Thurston · carried in the Senate by Sen. Brady Brammer

  1. Introduced
  2. House committee
  3. House vote
  4. Senate committee
  5. Senate vote
  6. Signed into law

What this bill does

The bill makes the recorded video of ballot processing a public record under state records law and requires election officers to keep ballot chain-of-custody papers and election database and vote-record materials for 22 months after an election. For county-run elections, it requires clerks to keep an electronic copy of election materials for at least 12 years, sets rules for who may access that copy for research, and shortens from seven to three days the deadline to publicize the certified board of canvassers report, which must also be available as a PDF.

Plain-English summary written by AI from the official description. Check the official text below.

Official description
  • defines terms
  • makes the recorded video of ballot processing a public record for purposes of the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA)
  • specifies that an election officer shall retain and preserve ballot chain of custody documentation created during an election
  • clarifies that an election officer shall package and retain the election database, cast vote record, and other materials used in the programming of automatic tabulating equipment
  • for an election administered by a county clerk:
  • directs the county clerk to make, preserve, and retain for at least 12 years an electronic copy of certain election material
  • authorizes, in certain circumstances, the county clerk or county legislative body to examine the electronic copy of election material to conduct research related to an election
  • requires the county clerk to grant certain governmental entities access to the electronic copy of election material to conduct research related to an election
  • creates a process for a governmental entity to conduct a multi-county review of the electronic copy of election material
  • specifies that an electronic copy of election material is not a record for purposes of GRAMA
  • clarifies that an election officer's obligation to seal official ballots and election returns does not prohibit a county clerk, an auditor, or the lieutenant governor from accessing the electronic copy of election material
  • clarifies that an election officer shall retain and preserve the election database, cast vote record, and other materials for 22 months after an election
  • modifies provisions relating to information an election officer is required to report in a ballot reconciliation report and board of canvassers report
  • reduces the amount of time that an election officer has to publicize the certified board of canvassers report from seven to three days
  • requires an election officer to make a copy of the certified board of canvassers report available to members of the public in portable document format
  • includes a coordination clause to reflect the changes made to certain voter registration provisions in H.B. 270, Voter Registration Records Amendments, if this bill and H.B. 270 both pass and become law
  • makes technical and conforming changes
Full text and history on le.utah.gov →

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