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audit in Utah unveiled lingering frustrating issues associated with the state’s universal mail-in voting system. The audit was mandated by a 2023 law requiring biennial reviews of election processes by the Office of Legislative Auditor General. This year’s audit focused on the November 2023 municipal elections, March 2024 presidential primary, June 2024 state primary, and observations from the November 2024 general election.
Dead voters, people voting twice: Utah election audit reveals ongoing issues https://t.co/n5AruGqT1t pic.twitter.com/suBdVTkq8x
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) December 12, 2024
The audit revealed approximately 1,400 likely deceased individuals remained on Utah’s voter rolls, with around 700 classified as “active” voters who would have received mail-in ballots. Disturbingly, two of these likely deceased individuals appeared to have cast votes in the November 2023 election. Additionally, 300 potential duplicate voter records were identified, leading to instances where some voters seemed to have voted twice in past elections.
Other issues highlighted included inconsistent practices among county clerks, insufficient camera monitoring in certain counties, and a lack of clear statewide signature verification training standards established by the Lt. Governor’s Office.
State elections director Ryan Cowley acknowledged the audit’s concerning findings while also noting the limitations faced, such as data gaps and information-sharing problems between state agencies. However, the auditors maintained they “did not find significant fraud in Utah’s election system,” but emphasized the need for further measures to safeguard the integrity of universal mail-in balloting.
Republican lawmakers viewed the audit as an indictment of mail-in voting, with House Speaker Mike Schultz questioning how deceased individuals could vote and suggesting in-person voting might prevent such issues. Auditors conceded in-person voting could make voter impersonation more difficult but would not eliminate the problem entirely.
In Utah we are told to trust elections but are given no option to verify. There appears to be nine standard deviations in the gubernatorial race in Utah county alone. Instead of being transparent, the lieutenant governor has denied all requests for information and told people to… pic.twitter.com/1kg8Bx8QqL
— Natalie Clawson (@NatalieforUtah) November 4, 2024
Democrats, on the other hand, downplayed the audit’s findings, with Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla and House Minority Leader Angela Romero arguing that mail-in voting itself was not the issue and expressing concerns that the audit might be used to eliminate the practice, potentially discouraging voter participation.
On social media, reactions included calls to end universal mail-in balloting from prominent figures like Sen. Mike Lee and Elon Musk, while Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs advocated for in-person voting, paper ballots, photo ID requirements, and a single Election Day.
