Duties enumerated.

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  • (1) The lieutenant governor shall:
    • (a) perform duties delegated by the governor, including assignments to serve in any of the following capacities:
      • (i) as the head of any one department, if so qualified, with the advice and consent of the Senate, and, upon appointment at the pleasure of the governor and without additional compensation;
      • (ii) as the chairperson of any cabinet group organized by the governor or authorized by law for the purpose of advising the governor or coordinating intergovernmental or interdepartmental policies or programs;
      • (iii) as liaison between the governor and the state Legislature to coordinate and facilitate the governor's programs and budget requests;
      • (iv) as liaison between the governor and other officials of local, state, federal, and international governments or any other political entities to coordinate, facilitate, and protect the interests of the state;
      • (v) as personal advisor to the governor, including advice on policies, programs, administrative and personnel matters, and fiscal or budgetary matters; and
      • (vi) as chairperson or member of any temporary or permanent boards, councils, commissions, committees, task forces, or other group appointed by the governor;
    • (b) serve on all boards and commissions in lieu of the governor, whenever so designated by the governor;
    • (c) serve as the chief election officer of the state as required by Subsection (2);
    • (d) keep custody of the Great Seal of Utah;
    • (e) keep a register of, and attest, the official acts of the governor;
    • (f) affix the Great Seal, with an attestation, to all official documents and instruments to which the official signature of the governor is required; and
    • (g) furnish a certified copy of all or any part of any law, record, or other instrument filed, deposited, or recorded in the office of the lieutenant governor to any person who requests it and pays the fee.
  • (2)
    • (a) As the chief election officer, the lieutenant governor shall:
      • (i) exercise general supervisory authority over all elections;
      • (ii) exercise direct authority over the conduct of elections for federal, state, and multicounty officers and statewide or multicounty ballot propositions and any recounts involving those races;
      • (iii) assist county clerks in unifying the election ballot;
      • (iv)
        • (A) prepare election information for the public as required by statute and as determined appropriate by the lieutenant governor; and
        • (B) make the information under Subsection (2)(a)(iv)(A) available to the public and to news media on the Internet and in other forms as required by statute or as determined appropriate by the lieutenant governor;
      • (v) receive and answer election questions and maintain an election file on opinions received from the attorney general;
      • (vi) maintain a current list of registered political parties as defined in Section 20A-8-101;
      • (vii) maintain election returns and statistics;
      • (viii) certify to the governor the names of those persons who have received the highest number of votes for any office;
      • (ix) ensure that all voting equipment purchased by the state complies with the requirements of Sections 20A-5-302, 20A-5-802, and 20A-5-803;
      • (x) conduct the study described in Section 67-1a-14;
      • (xi) during a declared emergency, to the extent that the lieutenant governor determines it warranted, designate, as provided in Section 20A-1-308, a different method, time, or location relating to:
        • (A) voting on election day;
        • (B) early voting;
        • (C) the transmittal or voting of an absentee ballot or military-overseas ballot;
        • (D) the counting of an absentee ballot or military-overseas ballot; or
        • (E) the canvassing of election returns; and
      • (xii) perform other election duties as provided in Title 20A, Election Code.
    • (b) As chief election officer, the lieutenant governor may not assume the responsibilities assigned to the county clerks, city recorders, town clerks, or other local election officials by Title 20A, Election Code.
  • (3)
    • (a) The lieutenant governor shall:
      • (i) determine a new municipality's classification under Section 10-2-301 upon the city's incorporation under Title 10, Chapter 2a, Part 2, Incorporation of a Municipality, based on the municipality's population using the population estimate from the Utah Population Committee; and
      • (ii)
        • (A) prepare a certificate indicating the class in which the new municipality belongs based on the municipality's population; and
        • (B) within 10 days after preparing the certificate, deliver a copy of the certificate to the municipality's legislative body.
    • (b) The lieutenant governor shall:
      • (i) determine the classification under Section 10-2-301 of a consolidated municipality upon the consolidation of multiple municipalities under Title 10, Chapter 2, Part 6, Consolidation of Municipalities, using population information from:
        • (A) each official census or census estimate of the United States Bureau of the Census; or
        • (B) the population estimate from the Utah Population Committee, if the population of a municipality is not available from the United States Bureau of the Census; and
      • (ii)
        • (A) prepare a certificate indicating the class in which the consolidated municipality belongs based on the municipality's population; and
        • (B) within 10 days after preparing the certificate, deliver a copy of the certificate to the consolidated municipality's legislative body.
    • (c) The lieutenant governor shall:
      • (i) determine a new metro township's classification under Section 10-2-301.5 upon the metro township's incorporation under Title 10, Chapter 2a, Part 4, Incorporation of Metro Townships and Unincorporated Islands in a County of the First Class on and after May 12, 2015, based on the metro township's population using the population estimates from the Utah Population Committee; and
      • (ii) prepare a certificate indicating the class in which the new metro township belongs based on the metro township's population and, within 10 days after preparing the certificate, deliver a copy of the certificate to the metro township's legislative body.
    • (d) The lieutenant governor shall monitor the population of each municipality using population information from:
      • (i) each official census or census estimate of the United States Bureau of the Census; or
      • (ii) the population estimate from the Utah Population Committee, if the population of a municipality is not available from the United States Bureau of the Census.
    • (e) If the applicable population figure under Subsection (3)(b) or (d) indicates that a municipality's population has increased beyond the population for its current class, the lieutenant governor shall:
      • (i) prepare a certificate indicating the class in which the municipality belongs based on the increased population figure; and
      • (ii) within 10 days after preparing the certificate, deliver a copy of the certificate to the legislative body of the municipality whose class has changed.
    • (f)
      • (i) If the applicable population figure under Subsection (3)(b) or (d) indicates that a municipality's population has decreased below the population for its current class, the lieutenant governor shall send written notification of that fact to the municipality's legislative body.
      • (ii) Upon receipt of a petition under Subsection 10-2-302(2) from a municipality whose population has decreased below the population for its current class, the lieutenant governor shall:
        • (A) prepare a certificate indicating the class in which the municipality belongs based on the decreased population figure; and
        • (B) within 10 days after preparing the certificate, deliver a copy of the certificate to the legislative body of the municipality whose class has changed.





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