Utah Becomes First State To Phase Out Universal Vote-By-Mail

Utah’s Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill Wednesday to phase out the state’s universal mail-in voting system, marking the first time a state has ended the practice of mailing a ballot to every registered voter.

With his signature, Utah will phase out universal vote-by-mail starting in 2029. Utah was one of only eight states with such a policy in place and was the only solidly Republican one among them.

Cox praised the legislation as a “brilliant bill” earlier this month, saying it’s necessary to restore election trust among the people who “wrongly believe that we have mass fraud in our elections.”

Though Cox’s remarks pushed back against President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that mail-in voting is ripe with fraud, signing this bill is in line with the president’s crackdown on absentee voting. On Monday, Trump issued an executive order barring states from counting mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day, regardless of state laws on postmarking.

Voting rights advocates slammed the new Utah law, calling it pointless and burdensome for people in less populated parts of the state.

“Universal mail voting was enormously popular in Utah because it gave voters more freedom and flexibility to vote,” Chris Diaz, the director of legislative tracking for Voting Rights Lab, said. “Utah is now the first and only state to roll back a universal mail voting system. Voters, especially those in rural areas, will bear the brunt of this restrictive move.”

It’s true that mail-in voting is highly favored in Utah. The Salt Lake City Tribune found after last year’s primary elections that among the 26 counties that provided voting method data, nearly 97% of residents who voted used the ballot that was mailed to them.

Utah farmer Michael Moore told the Tribune last fall that the closest ballot drop box and in-person polling location to him is two hours away. “I probably wouldn’t vote if I had to drive that far,” he said.

Other voting rights advocates said the legislation is doing the opposite of what Cox claims it will do to restore voter trust.

“Despite audits showing the security of Utah’s elections, lawmakers continue to push policy based on unfounded conspiracy theories from a vocal minority. Instead of dispelling these false claims, the Legislature and Governor Cox have enshrined a baseless narrative undermining confidence in Utah’s elections,” Ellie Menlove, the legislative and policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, said in a statement.

If Utahns still want to vote by mail after the change goes into effect, they’ll have to ask for absentee ballots when they’re renewing their ID or driver license, when they vote in person or by requesting one online. That request will be valid for eight years unless the voter misses an election.

Other states with universal mail-in voting are California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington state. Studies show that the policy increases voter turnout, and there is no data showing mail-in voting increases voter fraud.