Misconduct of electors and officers -- Penalty

(1) It is unlawful for any person to: (a) sign any name other than the person's own to a referendum petition; (b) knowingly sign the person's name more than once for the same referendum petition at one election; (c) knowingly indicate that a person who signed a referendum petition signed the referendum petition on a date other than the date that the person signed the petition; (d) sign a referendum petition knowing the person is not a legal voter; or (e) knowingly and willfully violate any provision of this part. (2) It is unlawful for any person to sign the verification for a referendum packet, or to electronically sign the verification for a signature under Subsection 20A-21-201(10) knowing that: (a) the signature date associated with the person's signature for the referendum petition is not the date that the person signed the referendum petition; (b) the person has not witnessed the signatures of those persons whose signatures the person collects or submits; or (c) one or more individuals who sign the referendum petition are not registered to vote in Utah. (3) It is unlawful for an individual to: (a) pay an individual to sign a referendum petition; (b) pay an individual, or provide or offer to provide money, prepaid postage, or any other direct financial benefit to an individual, to remove the individual's signature from a referendum petition; (c) accept payment to sign a referendum petition; (d) accept payment to have the individual's name removed from a referendum petition; (e) make a misrepresentation that is likely to deceive, or misrepresent that the individual is affiliated with or acting on behalf of a governmental entity, while the individual gathers or attempts to gather: (i) a signature for a referendum petition; or (ii) a statement described in Section 20A-1-1003 requesting removal of a signature from a referendum petition; or (f) on behalf of a voter described in Section 20A-7-106, place the initials "AV" or enter any information on a signature sheet or statement described in Section 20A-7-106, if the individual: (i) does not obtain the voluntary direction or consent of the voter; (ii) believes or has reason to believe that the voter lacks the mental capacity to give the voter's direction or consent; (iii) believes or has reason to believe that the voter does not understand the purpose or nature of the action taken by the individual on behalf of the voter; (iv) intentionally or knowingly deceives the voter into providing the direction or consent of the voter; or (v) intentionally or knowingly enters false information on the signature sheet or statement. (4) Any person violating this section is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.