Dear Governor Spencer Cox,
The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah (ACLU of Utah) urges you to veto HB300, Amendment to Election Law, which imposes unnecessary and costly changes to Utah’s secure and trusted vote-by-mail system. Utah has long been a leader in safe, reliable elections—free from fraud and unnecessary barriers. HB300 threatens that reality by adding burdensome voting requirements. Lawmakers are using baseless fraud claims as a pretext to limit access to voting, once again proving their goal is to erect barriers, not protect elections. HB300 will take us backward, making it harder for Utahns to participate in our democracy.
The Legislature passed HB300 despite overwhelming public opposition, making it yet another undemocratic attempt to consolidate power by suppressing the people’s voice. For over two decades, Utah’s vote-by-mail system has been secure, reliable, and widely used by over 96% of Utah voters. Yet HB300 undermines this system by forcing voters to opt in to receive a mail ballot instead of receiving one automatically and requiring them to provide the last four digits of a government-issued ID to return their ballot—a hurdle that will disproportionately impact seniors, people with disabilities, Indigenous voters, and others who face systemic barriers to obtaining an ID. The bill also mandates that ballots be received by Election Day rather than postmarked the day before, stripping voters of certainty that their ballots will be counted if mailed on time.
HB300 is not responsive to any problem. Utah’s election audits have found no credible evidence of widespread fraud, yet lawmakers continue to push policy based on unproven conspiracy theories from a vocal minority. Rather than dispelling these false claims, the Legislature has amplified a baseless narrative undermining confidence in Utah’s elections.
Governor Cox, vetoing HB300 would send a clear message: Utah will let the people vote. This bill makes it harder to participate in elections and undermines participatory democracy. Utah's elections should ensure that every ballot is counted and remains free from unnecessary barriers that disproportionately affect certain voters. By restricting whose voices count in choosing their elected officials, lawmakers are limiting the people’s ability to decide who represents them.
For these reasons, we urge you to veto HB300. Utah’s democracy is strongest when every eligible voter can freely and fairly participate in our elections. You must preserve the proven, secure, and accessible vote-by-mail system that Utahns trust.
Sincerely,
Brittney Nystrom
Executive Director, ACLU of Utah
