Election integrity is a high priority for election policy and administration. It is no surprise, then, that legislation requiring ID to vote has recently surfaced both nationally (the MEGA Act) and in the states (HB 479). However, these voter ID measures also restrict a voter’s right to cast their ballot by mail, undermining voter confidence in elections. There is a path forward for voter ID laws to strengthen security while preserving the benefits of vote-by-mail.
Voter ID is too important a policy to risk tainting it in the eyes of voters. Those voters expect reasonable ID requirements that are also convenient, without restricting their right to cast their ballot in the way they believe is most secure, including by mail.
HB 479 seeks to ensure that everyone who votes in Utah must show a valid ID in person, regardless of how they vote. Those voting in person or via drop box must show a valid ID to a poll worker, while those who wish to return a ballot by mail must complete a form at least 45 days before an election, deliver it in person to their county clerk’s office, and present valid ID – every two years. There are exceptions for those with disabilities who can submit their form and ID electronically.
The motivations of this legislation are understandable, as preserving the integrity and security of voting is an important priority. But there are unintended consequences of the specific reforms this bill imagines.
Sutherland Institute/Y2 Analytics polling shows that restricting mail-in voting in favor of in-person voting decreases voter confidence in election results by a notable margin. Among the 40-50% of Utahns who cast their ballot by mail and would have to jump through new hoops to vote in a way that they’ve been doing for decades, the loss in confidence is likely to be highest.
Rural voters will be especially negatively impacted: When you live hours away from your county clerk’s office, submitting a form in person is no small thing.
Requiring a substantial number of Utah voters to submit their mail-in ballot forms in person every two years is an unnecessary burden on access to the ballot box. The legislation already provides for the electronic submission of forms and ID for disabled voters. Lawmakers can maintain election integrity and access to voting simultaneously by extending electronic submission to all voters.
Legislators can also make mail-in ballot submission more reasonable by incorporating it into an election process they created in 2024. Future voters will be required to submit a request to get their ballot in the mail every eight years. The form needed for this request could be augmented to also allow voters to request the ability to return their ballot by mail every eight years.
Making voter ID and mail-in voting requirements reasonable for voters advances election integrity by maintaining voter confidence and ensuring Utah voters are legally eligible to vote. If the Utah Legislature prioritizes Utah voter interests in this way, we can get voter ID right.
Derek Monson is the executive director of Sutherland Institute, a nonprofit organization that equips Americans to advance public policy that promotes the constitutional values of faith, family, and freedom.
