20A-7-504.  Manual initiative process — Circulation requirements — Local clerk to provide sponsors with materials.

(1)  This section applies only to the manual initiative process.

Terms Used In Utah Code 20A-7-504

  • Circulation: means the process of submitting an initiative petition or a referendum petition to legal voters for their signature. See Utah Code 20A-7-101
  • City: includes , depending on population, a metro township as defined in Section 10-3c-102. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • Initiative: means a new law proposed for adoption by the public as provided in this chapter. See Utah Code 20A-7-101
  • Initiative packet: means a copy of the initiative petition, a copy of the proposed law, and the signature sheets, all of which have been bound together as a unit. See Utah Code 20A-7-101
  • Legally referable to voters: means :
(a) for a proposed local initiative, that the proposed local initiative is legally referable to voters under Section 20A-7-502. See Utah Code 20A-7-101
  • Local clerk: means the county clerk, city recorder, or town clerk in whose jurisdiction a local initiative or referendum petition is circulated. See Utah Code 20A-7-101
  • Manual initiative process: means the process for gathering signatures for an initiative using paper signature packets that a signer physically signs. See Utah Code 20A-7-101
  • Process: means a writ or summons issued in the course of a judicial proceeding. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • Signature: includes a name, mark, or sign written with the intent to authenticate an instrument or writing. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
  • Signature sheets: means sheets in the form required by this chapter that are used under the manual initiative process or the manual referendum process to collect signatures in support of an initiative or referendum. See Utah Code 20A-7-101
  • Sponsors: means the legal voters who support the initiative or referendum and who sign the initiative application or referendum application. See Utah Code 20A-7-101
  • Town: includes , depending on population, a metro township as defined in Section 10-3c-102. See Utah Code 68-3-12.5
    • (2)  In order to obtain the necessary number of signatures required by this part, the sponsors or an agent of the sponsors shall, after the sponsors receive the documents described in Subsections (3) and 20A-7-401.5(4)(b), circulate initiative packets that meet the form requirements of this part.

    (3)  Within five days after the day on which a county, city, town, metro township, or court determines, in accordance with Section 20A-7-502.7, that a law proposed in an initiative petition is legally referable to voters, the local clerk shall provide to the sponsors:

    (a)  a copy of the initiative petition; and

    (b)  a signature sheet.

    (4)  The sponsors of the initiative shall:

    (a)  arrange and pay for the printing of all documents that are part of the initiative packets; and

    (b)  ensure that the initiative packets and the documents described in Subsection (4)(a) meet the requirements of this part.

    (5) 

    (a)  The sponsors or an agent of the sponsors may prepare the initiative packets for circulation by creating multiple initiative packets.

    (b)  The sponsors or an agent of the sponsors shall create initiative packets by binding a copy of the initiative petition with the text of the proposed law and no more than 50 signature sheets together at the top in a manner that the initiative packets may be conveniently opened for signing.

    (c)  An initiative packet is not required to have a uniform number of signature sheets.

    (d)  The sponsors or an agent of the sponsors shall include, with each initiative packet, a copy of the proposition information pamphlet provided to the sponsors under Subsection 20A-7-401.5(4)(b).

    (6) 

    (a)  The sponsors or an agent of the sponsors shall, before gathering signatures:

    (i)  contact the county clerk to receive a range of numbers that the sponsors may use to number initiative packets; and

    (ii)  number each initiative packet, sequentially, within the range of numbers provided by the county clerk, starting with the lowest number in the range.

    (b)  The sponsors or an agent of the sponsors may not:

    (i)  number an initiative packet in a manner not directed by the county clerk; or

    (ii)  circulate or submit an initiative packet that is not numbered in the manner directed by the county clerk.

    (c)  The county clerk shall keep a record of the number range provided under Subsection (6)(a).

    Amended by Chapter 107, 2023 General Session

      Previous section
    Next section  
     Part 5 Contents