Utah
Report: How secure are Utah’s elections?
Estimated read time: 4-5
minutes
OREM — Election integrity has become a hot-button topic nationally since the past presidential election when former President Donald Trump raised false claims about the election being stolen. But where does the Beehive State stand when it comes to election and voting integrity?
To begin answering this question, the Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy at Utah Valley University on Monday held a panel discussion with political and voting experts who presented three reports on Utah’s election integrity.
The reports and the discussion focused on Utah’s election process, voter access and ballot security, 2022 election results in ranked choice voting contests and the issue of inactive ballots.
Could election fraud happen in Utah?
“Voter Access and Ballot Security,” by Kal Munis and Mikelle Dahl, reviewed Utahns’ access to the ballot and the security and counting of their ballots once votes are cast.
“Voting on ballot initiatives, voting for our representatives, really constitutes the only means through which most Americans will ever directly participate into the policymaking process,” Munis said. “It’s no exaggeration to say that preserving the fairness and integrity of the (voting) process is serious and some might even say sacred business.”
According to the report, four pillars contribute to successful elections in Utah: a citizen’s access to the ballot, tabulating equipment, ballot chain of custody and individual voter responsibility.
In Utah, people can register to vote by mail, in-person or by pre-registering automatically at age 18. Dahl said Utah ranks fifth in the United States for voter access and registration with 77.8% of Utah’s voting-age population registered to vote.
An extremely high percentage of Utah voters choose to cast their ballots via mail, the report shows, providing them with easier access to voting and allowing them to complete a ballot at their convenience.
When it comes to casting and counting votes, there are many ways this is done, and methods have had to evolve for the higher volume of ballots cast and the need for faster result tabulation.
Utah uses direct-record electronic and optical scan voting machines — both considered secure voting systems by the United States Election Assistance Commission — and requires each machine and replacement part to be certified by the commission, said the report. Further bolstering security, certified machines are never connected to the internet, making it “impossible” to access them remotely and manipulate election results.
Based upon our review of Utah’s election laws and procedures, the Herbert Institute holds utmost confidence in the security of Utah’s elections.
– “Voter Access and Ballot Security,” by Kal Munis and Mikelle Dahl
Another crucial aspect of a secure election is ballot security and chain of custody — how ballots are handled and transported from polling sites to tabulating locations.
“Without the proper documentation, elections would lose their transparency and trustworthiness to the public because we would not be able to have assurance that the elections were secure,” Dahl said. “Utah requires that election officials document the chain of custody for all voting materials as well as equipment.”
While the aforementioned steps to ensure election integrity mainly fall into the hands of election officials, the voting public also carries responsibility when it comes to elections, mainly in the sense of providing correct information about themselves.
“Some of the responsibilities that voters have (are), they have to contact (an) election office if their ballot doesn’t arrive on time. They have a responsibility to carefully mark, sign and return their ballots on time. They have a responsibility to check their ballot status online or sign up for notifications for when their ballots are mailed, received and tabulated,” Dahl said.
Additionally, it is the responsibility of the voter to seek out reputable and verifiable information on the when, where and how of voting, as well as on candidates and policies.
Dahl and Munis agreed the four pillars are what support Utah’s elections and, given the safeguards in place, election fraud is unlikely in Utah.
“Based upon our review of Utah’s election laws and procedures, the Herbert Institute holds utmost confidence in the security of Utah’s elections,” said the report.
People can read Munis and Dahl’s report, along with others, here.
The summary of UVU professor Alan Parry’s research into ranked choice voting emphasizes that transparent presentation of the results of such elections is key and tallies should be released in a round-by-round breakdown to make it easy for voters to understand.
A joint report by Parry and Rachel Hutchinson, senior policy analyst at FairVote, examines the impact of ballots that become inactive due to the voter’s choice not being selected as the winning candidate.
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SALT LAKE CITY — Utahns can never be described as “basic,” but that quality is at the root of the most troublesome word for state residents to spell.
Basically… it’s basically.
According to Unscramblerer.com, the word “basically” is the one that trips up Utahns the most. Not mischievous, acquiesce, onomatopoeia or… yes… bougie. (Actually, bougie was the most misspelled word in all of America.)
To find the most difficult words for each state’s residents to pronounce, the site used Google Trends and Ahrefs.
List of America’s Most Misspellled Words:
- Bougie
- Favorite
- Through
- Business
- Tomorrow
- Because
- Definitely
- Beautiful
- Niece
- Separate
Utah
Mom of two missing Utah boys issues desperate plea after they were allegedly abducted by their dad
A mom to two missing Utah boys has issued a desperate plea amid fears they may have been snatched by their dad, whom authorities have previously described as “seriously depressed.”
Lizzie Tomich’s voice cracked in a social media video as she begged for the safe return of Will Richman, 1, and 10-month-old Wesley, both of whom were last seen on May 16.
“Please, like, share, repost everything,” she said in the video.
Tomich co-parents her two children with Dane Stephen Richman, who lives in Utah, and he collected the brothers from her Sheldon, Washington, home as part of a routine custody exchange but he failed to return them a week later.
Richman, 46, reportedly told Tomich he and the boys were camping, but he pulled out of a deposition custody hearing on Friday, raising alarm.
A welfare check was carried out at Richman’s Saratoga Springs home before authorities issued an Amber Alert.
“At that point, we called the police to do a welfare check on him,” Tomich said.
“When the police arrived, we learned that the house was vacant and there were things being moved out.
“There was no car and Dane and the boys were not home. When we learned this, we knew something was wrong.”
Tomich shared messages she exchanged with Richman, where she asked, “Where are you? Where are the kids right now?”
“With me, I’m driving,” Richman supposedly replied before saying they were “camping.”
Tomich then revealed she arrived at the supposed meet-up location 15 minutes earlier than planned.
“As the time approached, I began calling and texting him asking for an ETA. He did not respond. At, approximately 12: 01 p.m. is when I began to panic and when we called police,” she said.
Tomich’s family lawyer, Brittany Skinner, then interjected, adding, “After further investigation with the police, we learned that Dane’s quit his job.
“He’s sold almost all of his possessions. He has left with almost everything he has, with the clear intention of not returning with these children.”
Tomich’s voice cracked as she begged, “Please, like, share, repost everything, share with your family, share with your friends, anybody you know, they could be anywhere. Please,” revealing that her sons have “infectious smiles.. dimples and blue eyes.”
Richman has been charged with custodial interference, a third-degree felony, but authorities fear he may have crossed into Mexico, KTVX reported.
Cops suspect Richman was likely in Carlsbad, California, on May 18 – and crossed the border the following day.
Authorities said “There is concern for the safety and well-being of the children as the suspect has been seriously depressed, selling possessions, facing financial stress, and abandoned his home,” as they issued the Amber Alert.
But when cops were carrying out the welfare check, it’s since emerged they stopped a “moving truck,” Katie Walters, the brothers’ aunt told KTVX.
“He had completely moved out of his house that the children were supposed to be living in, and the moving truck was just actually pulling out of the driveway, and the police were able to stop the moving truck, and they asked what’s going on,” she said.
“They said they didn’t even know because they never even saw the owner of the home while they were there. They only were communicating via text.”
Addressing Richman, she said, “To Dane, just please be safe. We love you and we love those kids.”
Richman is reportedly driving a black Toyota Camry that has a Utah license plate A561HL, but cops suspect the car is a newer model and it could have a temporary tag.
OREM, Utah (KUTV) — Reports of ticks near Orem City Center Park and surrounding neighborhoods are raising concerns among Utah County residents as families spend more time outdoors during the holiday weekend.
The sightings, shared in neighborhood social media posts, appear to show ticks in residential backyards near the park. While ticks are commonly found in Utah during warmer months, health officials warn some species can carry serious diseases.
Susan and Paul Johnson were among many families spending Memorial Day in the area with visiting friends from Japan.
MORE | Ticks
“Isn’t it gorgeous? It’s not too hot, not too cold,” Susan Johnson said.
The family said they spent the morning honoring veterans before heading out to enjoy the weather.
“We went to the cemetery this morning and placed flowers, and now we are here to play in the water, enjoy the sun and be together as a family,” Johnson said.
Utah’s warmer weather brings increased tick activity. The Rocky Mountain wood tick is the species most commonly found in Utah. According to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, the tick is typically active from snowmelt through mid-July and is often found in mountainous terrain.
The species can carry diseases including Colorado tick fever and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Another species, the western black-legged tick, can carry Lyme disease.
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services began statewide tick surveillance efforts in 2020. Officials recommend anyone bitten by a tick monitor for symptoms including fever, rash, fatigue or body aches. Health officials also advise residents to safely collect and store the tick, if possible, for testing and identification.
Johnson said her family takes precautions after spending time outdoors.
“We check ourselves anyway at night,” she said.
Utah has reported a small number of Lyme disease cases in recent years. State health officials said more research is needed to better understand Lyme disease risks in Utah.
Residents are encouraged to wear long sleeves and pants in grassy or wooded areas, use insect repellent and perform tick checks after spending time outside.
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