H.B. 26 Voting Equipment Amendments

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What the bill does

This bill amends provisions related to voting equipment.

Hearings and debates

• Jan 20, 2026 House floor debate (day 1)▶ Watch
  Transcript (3 turns)

  1. Speaker (presiding)53:08

     First substitute House Bill 26, voting Equipment Amendments by Representative Cutler. Representative Cutler.

  2. Rep. Paul A. Cutler53:16

     Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to present and hopefully get a win on the first day as opposed to my last effort. Uh, I, uh, appreciate the rules Committee make, uh, substituting this in rules the substitute for your information. Uh, uh, it was substitute because there was a, a reference that was incorrect to a code and there was a misspelled word. The, you also note that the, the fiscal note on the original bill was zero. And we expect the fiscal note on this to also be zero since the only thing that was changed was the reference. This bill, this committee bill from the government Ops committee, uh, is very simple. There were a couple of counties in our state that did not comply with the requirement to have their voting equipment, meaning the computers that either if you're gonna cast a vote or used in the counting of votes have to comply with the standard step by step by the state. Or we, we want them to comply. There were a couple of counties that are outta compliant. They had old equipment. This bill says you can't buy anything other than the approved equipment that has no wireless capabilities. So if you're going to use a device, it needs to come on the approved list. And that cannot, it cannot even be capable of wireless communication. So there is a set of equipment that has been tested and certified as, uh, not having the capability for any wireless communication, which improves the security of our, of our, uh, election systems. And that is the, the main is, uh, reason for this bill to make sure all of the equipment used in the State of Utah for casting or counting votes, uh, cannot have that capability and meets the high standards set. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

  3. Speaker (presiding)55:19

     Thank you, Representative Cutler. Discussion to the bill. Seeing none. Back to Representative Cutler for summation. A waive thank you Summation has been waived. Voting will now be open on 26. Seeing all present, having voted voting is now closed. First substitute HB 26 passed this body with 74 yes votes one, no vote will be sent to the Senate for its consideration. Madam Reading Clerk

• Jan 28, 2026 Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee▶ Watch
  Transcript (8 turns)

  1. Committee chair1:08:40

     So let's go to House Bill first. Substitute House bill 26 is, is that right? We're on the first substitute, That's correct. But, uh, We're gonna get it right the first time. Oh, no, it's, I see the original. Do you see a substitute on? Well, I have notes that there is actually clarified as for substitute, but maybe it hasn't been adopted. Let me go, I'll spill 26 agenda Already. Adopt one. Okay. It is correct then. Fantastic. So first substitute house bill 26, voting Equipment Amendments. Go ahead, Representative Cutler.

  2. Rep. Paul A. Cutler1:09:33

     Thank you. Nice to be with you today. I appreciate the, uh, the opportunity. Uh, for those of you who participated in the, uh, interim committee, you'll recognize this. Uh, there was, I believe it was part of an audit that identified, we had one county that inadvertently had some equipment that had wireless capabilities. Uh, the wireless capabilities were never turned on, but that had capabilities. This bill clarifies that if you're gonna use, uh, voting equipment to either cast boats or to count votes, the, it cannot have any wireless capabilities at all. Can't even be in the chip set. None at all. So that there's no question about the ability to compromise voting equipment. It also makes a couple of other minor, uh, clarifications. We no longer have a program for, uh, uh, rank voting equipment. So it eliminates that and a couple of other minor, um, uh, technical changes. And that's the bill.

  3. Committee chair1:10:32

     Alright. Questions for the committee. If you remember it, it did come out of, uh, uh, interim as a committee bill and Representative Cutler was, uh, the one that wa was assigned for this bill. So let's, let's go to the public for comment on this bill. Okay. We got Juab. Come on up.

  4. Ricky Hatch, County Clerk/Auditor, Weber County1:11:00

     Thank you, Mr. Chair, members of the committee. My name is Ricky Hatch. I'm the county clerk and auditor for Weber County, and I chair the Clerk's Legislative Committee. Uh, we are fully in support of this and appreciate working with Representative Cutler on the, uh, on this bill. All counties are in compliance with this law, uh, but it makes sense to have it codified, uh, for any future questions. And so we fully support. Thank you.

  5. Committee chair1:11:24

     Thank you. Anyone else? Okay, we'll close public comment then and come back for further, uh, consideration or action. Senator Plumb.

  6. Sen. John D. Plumb1:11:41

     Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair. I would love to favorably or mo make a motion that we favorably recommend House Bill 26, substitute one forward to the full body of the Senate. Thank you for that motion discussion.

  7. Committee chair1:11:56

     Seeing none back to the sponsor, appreciate Your considerations to improve our, uh, elections and make sure they're safe and secure. Thank you. Senator Plumb summation, I'll waive. Thank you. Okay.

  8. Committee chair1:12:06

     All those in favor of recommending favorably first substitute House Bill 26 say, aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? That is unanimous also. Thank you. Thank you. Um,

• Feb 4, 2026 Senate floor debate (day 16)▶ Watch
  Transcript (7 turns)

  1. Senate presiding officer30:24

     House bill 26, voting equipment amendments. Senator Winterton.

  2. Sen. Ronald M. Winterton30:29

     Senator Winterton. Thank you. Thank you Mr. President Pro Tam. This is a committee Bill came out of government operations. It's basically a cleanup bill for elections. Uh, the code cleanup, it's, uh, it addresses the hardening of the security hardware band on, uh, voting equipment so that it cannot be online and, uh, gives people the assurance that, uh, you know, we can't be tampered with. Um, and it removes the, uh, rank choice voting, uh, language that we no longer have that, that, that sunsetted now. And that's the extent of the bill.

  3. Senate presiding officer31:13

     Thank you for that presentation. Is there discussion to this bill? Seeing none. Senator Winterton back to you.

  4. Sen. Ronald M. Winterton31:21

     I would move that first substitute house bill 26. I'd be read for a third time.

  5. Senate presiding officer31:26

     And the question is, shall first substitute House Bill 26? Be read for a third time. Roll call vote.

  6. Senate clerk (roll call)31:32

     Senator Vickers. Baldry. Lewin Aye. Brammer bus? Aye. Colmore. Esia. Aye. Fillmore Aye. Grover. Harper. Aye. Hankins Aye. Ipson. Aye. Johnson. Aye. Quan Aye. McKay? Aye. Mikel Milner. Musselman Owens pitcher Plum Rebe Aye. Sandal Aye. Stevenson Stratton Vickers Filer Wilson. Aye. Winterton, president Adams

  7. Senate presiding officer32:33

     Per substitute house Bill 26, having received 24 yay votes, zero na votes, five being absent will be read for a third time house Bill, 33 House

• Feb 5, 2026 Senate floor debate (day 17)▶ Watch
  Transcript (6 turns)

  1. Rep. Paul A. Cutler26:55speaker not certain

     a result from the study from the interim committee, uh, of government operations. And the, the whole bill is to give us comfort that knowing that, uh, our, uh, voting equipment is secured, they're standardized and they're free from the outside manipulation of the internet. It also, um, modernize modernizes our procurement process with an RFP so that, uh, once the Lieutenant Governor has that in place and all equipment in the state will be under the same system. That's the gist of it.

  2. Sen. J. Stuart Adams (presiding)27:33

     Thank you. Senator Winterton. Say no comments. I'm returning to you for a motion Call. The question then The question is, shall first subject house bill 26 pass. Roll call vote.

  3. Senate clerk (roll call)27:45

     Senator Vickers. Baldy Aye. Bwin Aye. Brammer. Bus. Bus. Aye. Comore Aye. Escamilla Aye. Fillmore Aye. Grover Harper. Kinins. Ipson Johnson. Quan McKay Aye. Mikel Milner. Musselman Owens pitcher Plum Aye. Rebe Sandal Stevenson. Stratton Bickers. Weiler Aye. Wilson. Aye. Winterton President Adams Aye. First substitute house Bill 26.

  4. Sen. J. Stuart Adams (presiding)28:47

     Having received 29 yay votes. Zero. Zero nay votes, zero being absent. Passes. This body will be signed by the President in return to the house for the signature of the speaker.

  5. Sen. J. Stuart Adams (presiding)28:57

     Senator Cullimore.

  6. Sen. J. Stuart Adams (presiding)29:02

     Personal privilege. Granted, go ahead, Senator.

All votes

• 74-1-0House floor · House/ passed 3rd reading · Jan 20, 2026Roll call
• 5-0-2Senate Government Operations and Political Subdivisions Committee · Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation · Jan 28, 2026Roll call
• 24-0-5Senate floor · Senate/ passed 2nd reading · Feb 4, 2026Roll call
• 29-0-0Senate floor · Senate/ passed 3rd reading · Feb 5, 2026Roll call

Tallies are yeas–nays–absent.