Election
Election Integrity
- Restore trust in the election system
- Dramatically increase voter participation
- Introduce risk-limiting measures to provide voter confidence
- Return control to the Counties that validate and verify our elections
Election Policy
Restoring Trust
Restoring public trust and confidence in our electoral architecture must be one of our most critical goals if we wish to continue as a constitutional republic. Government of the people, by the people, and for the people can only move forward if the people have faith that those governing are truly those they elected, not leaders groomed and selected by the elites. All concerns related to the integrity of our elections should be earnestly and transparently investigated instead of casually dismissed and hidden behind multi-million dollar PR campaigns.
Policy Points
- Precinct-level, in-person voting, mandatory photo ID
- Election Tuesday should be a holiday
- Risk-limiting audits
- Transparency
- Withdraw from ERIC
Precinct Level
While convenient, mail-in ballots blanketed across every community in the state provide ample opportunity for fraud of all kinds. I myself have received multiple ballots for my adult children who no longer live at home. I have heard countless stories of Utahns receiving ballots for deceased relatives. While most will destroy these extra ballots honestly, the system is rife with vulnerabilities. Those who need an absentee mail-in ballot may register with the county clerk to receive one. All that are able should vote on a single Election Day, in person, on paper, and only after showing voter ID. In 2022, I drafted common sense legislation to this effect, but unsurprisingly, the Utah political machine was not in favor. I also support a national holiday on Election Day to help increase voter turnout.
Risk Limiting Audits
Risk-limiting audits: Prior to county certification of election results, I propose independent, third-party, risk-limiting audits of certain races. This is not a full forensic audit, but an inexpensive basic review to ensure there are no red flags. Of course, any discrepancies must then be thoroughly investigated and resolved before certification moves forward. My 2023 bill on independent election evaluations easily passed the Utah House of Representatives before being stymied in the state Senate.
Transparency
Utah law dictates that an elected official is legally owed the state’s voter rolls and election data. However, multiple requests to Lt Gov Henderson for such information were denied, in one case by claiming that the elected representative in question was not a “qualified person.” Why are our Utah election officials unlawfully denying eligible Utahns access to election data? This lack of transparency is why we have a crisis of confidence. Under my leadership, all those eligible for access to election information will have access. If you find a problem with an election in Utah, I want to know about it, not hide it in a system that is not transparent to the citizens of Utah. It is also critical that we return to having a separate Secretary of State position that supervises elections, independent of the governor and lieutenant governor.
Withdraw from ERIC
Utah was one of the founding member states of ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center), a voter information database organization started with assistance from Pew Charitable Trusts, and by association, George Soros’s Open Society Foundation. ERIC’s creator and former head, David Becker, has not been shy about his disdain for all things conservative. In 2005, he was fired from the DOJ for his role in aiding a Democrat-led city in circumventing a lawsuit regarding voter suppression of Republicans. Becker resigned from his position on the board of ERIC, but this did not stop him from continuing his quest to form NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that can manipulate our elections, including the Center for Election Innovation and Research. CEIR in turn is connected to Mark Zuckerberg’s election-related funding in 2020.
Becker and the NGOs he created and leads are classic examples of the fox guarding the henhouse. In addition to these troublesome origins and connections, ERIC requires the outsourcing of Utah DMV and voter registration information to these third parties in violation of federal law while simultaneously limiting Utah’s ability to audit the work of these organizations. Utah should follow the lead of Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, and six other states and withdraw from ERIC.