This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Early in-person voting could be extended all the way up to Election Day in Utah.

The House voted 73-0 on Friday to pass HB105 to allow that, and sent it to the Senate.

Currently, early voting at special balloting locations may begin two weeks before Election Day and extend until the Friday before the Tuesday elections.

If the bill passes, it will allow early voting through the Monday before elections.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Craig Hall, R-West Valley City, said Salt Lake County had about 250 people try to cast early voting on the Monday before the election, but had to turn them away under current law.

It is one of numerous election bills being considered this year to help shorten lines at polling places, which were up to four hours long during last year's November elections.

That happened largely because most counties were using mostly by-mail voting for the first time, and vastly underestimated how many people would show up anyway for in-person voting on Election Day.

­— Lee Davidson