R623-4-4. Uniform Nomination Petition Processing Standards

  A. Nomination Petition Packet Submission Procedure.

  1. Any candidate who submits a nomination petition for verification shall submit their nomination petition packets, personally or by a designated agent, to the filing officer before the deadlines established in UCA Sections 20A-9-403 and 20A-9-408

  2. Any submission of nomination petition packets must contain sufficient signatures to meet or exceed the qualification threshold.

  3. At the time of submitting any nomination petition, a candidate or designated agent must provide, on a form provided by the filing officer:

  a. The candidate's contact information.

  b. The estimated number of nomination petition packets in the submission.

  c. The estimated number of signatures in the submission.

  d. A signed statement that the candidate has gathered the amount of signatures, required to meet the qualification threshold.

  4. The filing officer shall provide the candidate a receipt of the submission that includes:

  a. The date and submission time.

  b. A copy of the form required by Subsection (A)(3).

  5. The filing officer shall reject a submission if:

  a. The candidate fails to provide the form required in Subsection (A)(3);

  b. The candidate did not gather the amount of signatures required to meet or exceeds the qualification threshold;

  c. The candidate did not meet the submission deadline established in Utah Code Sections 20A-9-403 and 20A-9-408; or

  d. The candidate has already met the qualification threshold.

  6. If the filing officer rejects a submission in accordance with Subsection (A)(5), the filing officer shall provide the candidate with a written explanation of the rejection.

  B. Supplementing Nomination Petition Packets.

  1. Candidates may submit supplemental nomination petition packets following their first submission until the filing officer notifies the candidate that they have met the qualification threshold in accordance with Subsection (E)(1) or until the deadlines established in Utah Code Sections 20A-9-403 and 20A-9-408, whichever comes first.

  2. The intake of supplemental nomination petition packets shall comply with Subsections (A)(1) through (A)(6).

  3. The processing of supplemental nomination petition packets shall comply with Subsection (C)(1) through (E)(1).

  C. Order of Nomination Petition Packet Verification.

  1. The filing officer shall verify nomination petition submissions in the order received.

  2. The filing officer shall ensure that nomination petition packets for candidates for the same office are not verified simultaneously.

  D. Verifying Nomination Petition Packets.

  1. The filing officer shall verify nomination petition packets in accordance with Utah Code Section 20A-7-206.3.

  2. The filing officer shall verify all signatures of a nomination petition until the candidate has sufficient signatures to meet the qualification threshold.

  3. The filing officer may discontinue the verification of a nomination petition if the candidate officially withdraws their candidacy or withdraws their notice of intent to gather signatures.

  E. Communication of Results to Candidate.

  1. Within one (1) business day after verifying all signatures in a candidate's submission or after the candidate meets or exceeds the qualification threshold, the filing officer shall notify the candidate of the total number of valid signatures in the submission and whether the candidate has met the qualification threshold.