Our Response to the Fiscal Impact Estimate

Regarding the fiscal impact statement issued for our initiative proposal, the Secure the Vote Act of 2022:

• The law says that the fiscal statement must declare “if the proposed law would increase taxes.” The statement is silent on this subject, indicating that projected cost increases were not of the size that would require such a declaration. [See Utah Code, 20A-7-202.5 (2)(a)(ii)]

• We acknowledge the expertise of the Office of Legislative Fiscal Analyst while expressing frustration that we were prevented from viewing the underlying data selected or assumptions made in creating the analysis.

The statement highlights costs without mention of the savings that would obviously accrue from drastically reducing the number of mailed ballots, including for postage and envelopes. The legislature has appropriated millions for the purchase and servicing of electronic tabulators that will no longer be needed.

It is hard to pin down election costs which are not only governed by the state but by 29 counties with a degree of budgetary discretion. That might be why the fiscal analyst made the less-than-definitive statement that our legislation could cost governments the amounts indicated.

Whether that is true or not, we believe best practices that produce transparency in elections for every single voter should be our highest priority.

— Natalie Clawson, Stephanie Grant, Lew Moore, Lowell Nelson, Jan Peirce