Gov. Cox signs bill to simplify process of removing deceased Utahns from voter registry

In this Sept. 8, 2020 photo, voting booths are kept socially distant at the Chesterfield, N.H. polling site. A majority of President Donald Trump’s supporters plan…

In this Sept. 8, 2020 photo, voting booths are kept socially distant at the Chesterfield, N.H. polling site. A majority of President Donald Trump’s supporters plan to cast their ballot on Election Day, while about half of Joe Biden’s backers plan to vote by mail. That’s according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research that finds 54% of voters say they will vote before polls open on Nov. 3. (Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP)

by: Craig Proffer

Posted: Feb 16, 2021 / 06:38 PM MST

Updated: Feb 16, 2021 / 06:38 PM MST

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, (R) Utah, signed a bill into law last week that will streamline the process of removing deceased Utahns from the official voter registry

The bill, HB12, which was sponsored by Rep. Mike Winder, (R) West Valley City, will require the state registrar to provide the lieutenant governor’s office with information on deceased Utahns to ensure that they are then removed from the official voter registry.

Then, according to the bill, the lieutenant governor would then have to contact a county clerk’s office to ensure that the deceased person has been removed from the voter registry.

The bill then states that the lieutenant governor must verify the names of all Utah’s registered voters using their social security numbers 90 days before the primary election and 90 days before the general election.

The bill passed through the Utah House of Representatives with a 73-to-2 vote and then through the Utah Senate with a 25-to-4 vote.