20A-7-303. Manual referendum process -- Form of referendum petition and signature sheets.

921 words·~4 min read·/ut/title-20a/chapter-7/20a-7-303

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Effective 5/25/2026

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

(2)Each proposed referendum petition shall be printed in substantially the following form:

"REFERENDUM PETITION To the Honorable ____, Lieutenant Governor:

We, the undersigned citizens of Utah, respectfully order that (insert "Senate" or "House") Bill No. ____, entitled (title of act, and, if the petition is against less than the whole act, set forth here the part or parts on which the referendum is sought), passed by the Legislature of the state of Utah during the ____ Session, be referred to the people of Utah for their approval or rejection at a regular general election or a statewide special election;

Each signer says:

I have personally signed this referendum petition or, if I am an individual with a qualifying disability, I have signed this referendum petition by directing the signature gatherer to enter the initials "AV" as my signature;

The date next to my signature correctly reflects the date that I actually signed the referendum petition;

I personally had an opportunity to read the entire statement included with this referendum packet;

I am registered to vote in Utah; and

My residence and post office address are written correctly after my name.

WARNING TO SIGNERS WITH PRIVATE VOTER REGISTRATION RECORDS

If you sign this petition, your voter identification number and the date you signed may be publicly disclosed. This disclosure may occur even if you are an at-risk voter with a voter registration record that has been classified as a private record."

(3)Each referendum signature sheet shall:

(a)be printed on sheets of paper 8.5 inches long and 11 inches wide;

(b)be ruled with a horizontal line .75 inches from the top, with the space above that line blank for the purpose of binding;

(c)include the title of the referendum printed below the horizontal line, in at least 14-point, bold type;

(d)if the signature sheet is part of a condensed referendum packet:

(i)contain a printed QR code at the top of the signature sheet, in a location above the columns described in Subsection (3)(e) ;

(ii)ensure that the QR code links directly to the web page on the lieutenant governor's website described in Section 20A-7-304.5 ; and

(iii)include the following statement adjacent to the QR code in not less than 8-point, bold type: "This QR code provides access to a website that includes the full text of the law that is the subject of this referendum petition.";

(e)be vertically divided into columns immediately below the title of the referendum, as follows:

(i)the first column shall begin .5 inch from the left side of the paper, be .25 inch wide, and be headed, together with the second column, "For Office Use Only";

(ii)the second column shall be .25 inch wide;

(iii)the third column shall be 2.5 inches wide, headed "Registered Voter's Printed Name (must be legible to be counted)";

(iv)the fourth column shall be 2.5 inches wide, headed "Signature of Registered Voter";

(v)the fifth column shall be .75 inch wide, headed "Date Signed";

(vi)the sixth column shall be three inches wide, headed "Street Address, City, Zip Code"; and

(vii)the seventh column shall be .75 inch wide, headed "Birth Date or Age (Optional)"; and

(f)be horizontally divided into rows as follows:

(i)the first row shall be .5 inch high for purposes of a registered voter's entry of the information described in Subsection (3)(e) ; and

(ii)the second row shall span the width of each column described in Subsection (3)(e) and contain the following statement in 11-point type: "By signing this referendum petition, you are stating that you had an opportunity to read and understand the law that this referendum petition seeks to overturn.".

(4)The columns and rows described in Subsections (3)(e) and

(f)shall be repeated, leaving sufficient room at the bottom of the sheet for the information described in Subsection

(5).

(5)The bottom of the signature sheet shall include, in the following order:

(a)the following statement in at least 12-point, bold type:

"This referendum petition seeks to have (insert "Senate" or "House") Bill No. ____, entitled (title of act, and, if the petition is against less than the whole act, set forth here the part or parts on which the referendum is sought), passed by the Legislature of the state of Utah during the ____ Session, be referred to the people of Utah for their approval or rejection at a regular general election or a statewide special election."; and

(b)the word "Warning," in 12-point, bold type, followed by the following statement in not less than eight-point type:

"It is a class A misdemeanor to sign a referendum petition using a name other than your own name, to sign more than once, or to sign if you are not a registered voter.

Providing your birth date or age is optional, but it may be used to verify your identity. If you do not provide it, your signature may not be validated if your address changes or if the information you provide does not match your voter registration record."

(6)The final page of each referendum packet shall contain the circulator verification sheet described in Subsection 20A-1-1004(1) .

(7)If the forms described in this section are substantially followed, the referendum petitions are sufficient, notwithstanding clerical and merely technical errors.

Amended by Chapter 102 , 2026 General Session