Utah

Salvadorans in Utah casting ballots in Central American nation’s presidential election

Published

2 years ago

February 3, 2024

Press Room

Salvadorans in Utah casting ballots in Central American nation’s presidential election

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KEARNS — Sofia Zelaya, now living in Utah, is thousands of miles away from her native El Salvador.

That doesn’t mean she’s left the tiny Central American country behind.

With presidential elections in El Salvador set for Sunday, she and many other Salvadorans and Salvadoran-Americans in Utah are paying close attention to what’s happening in the country and aim to have a say in the process. The government has created new openings for voting by expatriates, with Salt Lake City to host one of many remote polling sites around the United States and beyond on Sunday to accommodate the global Salvadoran diaspora.

“We still have loved ones at home. We want our loved ones to live in a peaceful environment,” said Zelaya, a naturalized U.S. citizen and dual national who was offering voting information to Salvadorans at a table set up inside the Kearns Library in Kearns. Some 13,000 to 20,000 Salvadorans and Salvadoran-Americans live in Utah, according to varied estimates, and the money they and others around the world send back to relatives is a pillar of the Salvadoran economy.

Indeed, becoming a U.S. citizen, Zelaya went on, “doesn’t mean we don’t have cultural and family ties to where we came from.” The pride is still there and she and many more Salvadorans in Utah have already voted online — which started for eligible expatriates on Jan. 6 — or will do so in person on Sunday at the Salt Lake polling site, 850 E. South Temple, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Gladis Rodriguez and Sofia Zelaya talk while at the Kearns Library waiting to assist anyone who might need help understanding the voting process for elections in El Salvador, on Friday. (Photo: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

Fernando Pérez, consul general of the Salvadoran Consulate in Salt Lake City, called the expatriate community “a fundamental part of our nation,” noting the money those living and working abroad send to family members in El Salvador. According to the Salvadoran newspaper El Mundo, expatriate Salvadorans sent $8.2 billion to El Salvador in 2023 — more money than generated by exports — benefitting 25% of households in the country.

The laws allowing expatriates to vote “aim to make sure that the voices of our compatriots are heard, that their opinions are taken into account and that their rights are respected in the electoral process,” Pérez said in a message to KSL.com.

Laura Morales, originally from El Salvador but now living in Kaysville, already cast her ballot online, a new option this election cycle open to Salvadorans who have registered their foreign addresses with Salvadoran election authorities. Now she’s keeping tabs on what’s happening in El Salvador in the lead up to next Sunday.

“It’s my first time voting in 24 years, and for my kids it’s the first time in their lives,” except for balloting in U.S. elections, she said. “It’s been a month of civic joy.”

The Salvadoran elections come at a critical time, observers and others say. Incumbent President Nayib Bukele, elected to his first term in 2019 and widely expected to win his second term handily, has spearheaded a massive crackdown on the gangs that once dominated life in the country. He warns the country could slide backward if he’s not reelected, according to Reuters. But he’s not without critics, who charge his administration with employing repressive tactics and blast changes to election laws enabling his reelection bid.

Among the other hopefuls are Manuel Flores, a leftist former mayor and Salvadoran Legislative Assembly deputy, and Joel Sanchez, a conservative aspirant, according to CNN en Español.

Whatever the case, Zelaya and Morales are enthusiastic Bukele supporters, both crediting the leader with turning the country’s fortunes around. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, the country was wracked by civil war, violence that pushed many out of the country. Mara Salvatrucha and other gangs dominated the urban landscape after that, also pushing many from the nation.

“Mara Salvatrucha — that’s all we were known for, crime and nothing more,” said Zelaya, who fled El Salvador in 1981 during the nation’s civil conflict and now lives in Herriman. She was operating the information desk at the Kearns Library Friday with Gladis Rodríguez, another Salvadoran now living in Utah, as part of their volunteer efforts with Comunidad Salvadoreña de Utah, a cultural group.

Street crime, kidnappings and gang violence pushed Morales and her family from the country to the United States in 2000. “The last 20 years has been difficult for our country,” she said.

Changes implemented by Bukele, though, have inspired a renewed sense of pride in El Salvador, prompting much of the excitement among expatriates in Utah like Morales in the presidential contest. What’s more, Bukele has pointedly reached out to Salvadorans living abroad, opening more consulates, including the Salt Lake consulate, and streamlining the voting process for expatriates, she said.

“It’s a peaceful environment,” she said, describing the changed atmosphere in El Salvador thanks to the crackdown on gangs and street crime. “All the Salvadorans living abroad support the president so we can keep cleaning up the country.”

Francisco Raymundo, a Salvadoran expatriate now living in Taylorsville, is an unabashed supporter of Bukele and his New Ideas political party, promoting the incumbent’s candidacy among Salvadorans here in Utah. He left El Salvador with his wife and four kids in 2002, worried about crime and violence and fearful of getting caught up in it.

Gladis Rodriguez and Sofia Zelaya answer questions while at the Kearns Library waiting to assist anyone who might need help understanding the voting process for elections in El Salvador, on Friday. El Salvador expatriates have started presidential online balloting ahead of Election Day in the country, Feb. 4. Among the voters are many in Utah excited over the prospect of being able to have a say in the country's future. — Gladis Rodriguez and Sofia Zelaya answer questions while at the Kearns Library waiting to assist anyone who might need help understanding the voting process for elections in El Salvador, on Friday. El Salvador expatriates have started presidential online balloting ahead of Election Day in the country, Feb. 4. Among the voters are many in Utah excited over the prospect of being able to have a say in the country’s future. (Photo: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News)

“We really didn’t want to go but we left to keep my family safe,” he said. “It was personally painful to see people dying every day, people being extorted.”

Accordingly, seeing the change in the country and being able to vote and have a say in the nation’s future is exciting for him. “We are excited and engaged,” he said.

Salvadorans in Utah who wanted to vote in the 2019 elections had to travel to the Salvadoran consulate in Las Vegas, the closest one before the Salt Lake office opened, or cast a ballot by mail. Raymundo had hoped to vote by mail, but his ballot arrived from El Salvador after voting ended.

Morales, too, is charged by the new atmosphere in El Salvador. She already cast her ballot online and recalled the strong emotion as she clicked the screen prompt on her computer so her vote could be tallied.

“You cry. When you click and it says, ‘You voted,’ you cry,” she said.

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Tim Vandenack covers immigration, multicultural issues and Northern Utah for KSL.com. He worked several years for the Standard-Examiner in Ogden and has lived and reported in Mexico, Chile and along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Utah Falls in Emotional, Physical Game Against Capitals | Utah Mammoth

Published

3 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Utah Falls in Emotional, Physical Game Against Capitals | Utah Mammoth

Utah’s power play went 2-for-4, and it was the first time the Mammoth have scored two power play goals in a game since the last time they played the Capitals (Mar. 3, at Washington). Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley each capitalized on the man-advantage in the first period. Cooley was added to the top unit with Barrett Hayton out of the lineup (week-to-week, upper-body injury), and he shared what was working for the top unit.

“Just trying to establish a shot,” Cooley explained. “Trying to build off that and then things start to open up. We have a lot of great players on that unit that can make a lot of plays, and I think when we establish a shot first (mentality) that’s when we’re going to get our opportunities, and find seams and different rebounds like that.”

“They were rolling,” Tourigny said of the power play. “The way they were attacking, the way they were direct, they were really aggressive. They were intentional, their aggressiveness, that paid off.”

In addition to his power play goal, Guenther also scored three minutes and 55 seconds later. The forward has six multi-goal efforts this season and he set a new career-high in points (61). This is his second consecutive season with 60 or more points. Guenther has been a consistent scorer for the Mammoth as he has nine goals in the month of March and has scored eight of those in the last 11 games. He trails on Boston’s Pavel Zacha (9) for the league lead in that span.

MacKenzie Weegar scored his first goal as a member of the Mammoth in the third period. He’s contributed a point in two-straight games and has grown his role with Utah. In addition to playing alongside alternate captain Mikhail Sergachev on the top d-pairing, Weegar contributes to both sides of special teams.

It’s a close playoff race in the Western Conference and Utah is still in the first wildcard spot. However, the Mammoth will need to raise their game, keep a high level of intensity, and manage their emotions in the final nine games of the regular season. Utah’s next game is a tough test against the Los Angeles Kings on the road.

“Everyone’s gotta look in the mirror, we all got better and we all know that,” Keller said. “Still super confident with our group. This is the most exciting part of the year and the most exciting hockey. We’re all positive, and we’ll learn from it and go to L.A..”

“Yeah, I think we started out good,” Cooley reflected. “Special teams were good. I thought the first period, we were moving it well. I think we kind of just started to let it slip, give up some odd-man rushes, and they capitalized. Every game is so important right now, and it stings. It’s two points that we probably should have had, especially early on with the way we were playing. We got to make sure that we are ready for a heck of a battle with L.A.”

Additional Notes from Tonight (per Mammoth PR)

Sergachev registered three assists in the first period marking the first three-assist frame of his NHL career. This also marked his second career three-point period, both of which have come against Washington, as well as his fourth three-point game this season.

Alexander Kerfoot posted an assist on Weegar’s third-period goal, marking his 300^th career NHL point. He is the 16^th player from his draft class to reach that milestone. He joins Sergachev as the second skater to accomplish the feat with Utah.

Keller posted three primary assists tonight for his eighth three-point game, third three-assist game, 23^rd multi-point game, and 13^th multi-assist game in 2025-26, all of which are team highs. The Captain has seven points over his last six games (3G, 4A).

Utah’s captain has tallied at least 70 points for the fourth consecutive season and he became the 12^th NHL player to accomplish this feat over that stretch. According to NHL PR, Keller is the fifth player in NHL history to eclipse the 70-point mark in each of a franchise’s first two seasons.

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Niskanen Center, Arnold Ventures Applaud Utah Clearance Rate Legislation – Niskanen Center

Published

15 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Niskanen Center, Arnold Ventures Applaud Utah Clearance Rate Legislation – Niskanen Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2026

Media Contacts:
Louisa Tavlas
ltavlas@niskanencenter.org

Arnold Ventures
media@arnoldventures.org

Olin: Legislators, Cox, “providing law enforcement with additional resources to improve investigative outcomes” and keep Utah safe.

Washington, DC (March 26, 2026) — The Niskanen Center and Arnold Ventures applaud the Utah State Legislature and Governor Spencer Cox for passing new, bipartisan legislation designed to solve more crimes and provide support for crime victims. The bill, H.B. 137, passed both the Utah House of Representatives and the Utah Senate by wide, bipartisan margins and was signed into law by the Governor today.

“Making Utah as safe as possible requires ensuring law enforcement has every available resource to identify and arrest every criminal who preys upon innocent citizens,” said Jason Olin, senior government affairs manager for criminal justice at the Niskanen Center. “HB 137 establishes a Violent Crime Clearance Rate Fund that will provide law enforcement with additional resources to improve investigative outcomes. We thank Rep. Clancy and Sen. McKell for their leadership on this critical issue and Gov. Cox for signing this important piece of legislation.”

“Solving more violent crimes quickly can bring peace to victims and reduce the number of future victims,” said Kevin Ring, vice president of criminal justice advocacy at Arnold Ventures. “Would-be offenders need to know that they will be held accountable, and this law will make it more likely they will. We thank legislative leaders, including Rep. Clancy and Sen. McKell, and Gov. Cox for making sure Utah taxpayers and communities get the biggest public safety bang for their buck.”

H.B. 137, sponsored by Rep. Tyler Clancy (R-60) and Sen. Mike McKell (R-25), creates the Violent Crime Clearance Rate Fund to assist Utah law enforcement agencies in solving violent crimes. The fund will support hiring additional law enforcement officers and providing them with the tools they need to solve crimes. H.B. 137 includes provisions to ensure that resources from the fund reach departments of all sizes across both urban and rural jurisdictions. It will also help researchers conduct rigorous evaluations of the policies and practices that are most effective in solving crimes.

Utah is one of the safest states in the nation. But since 2019, the state’s violent crime clearance rate has hovered around 53%. That means nearly half of all violent crimes reported in Utah result in no arrest and no accountability. Even Utah’s 2024 homicide clearance rate of 74% — well above the national average — leaves more than 1 in 4 murders unsolved. Behind each of those unsolved cases is a victim whose family has been denied justice.

Olin, Ring, and other criminal justice experts are available for interview or comment.

More information on the Niskanen Center’s criminal justice policy work can be found here.

More information on AV’s criminal justice policy work can be found here.

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The Niskanen Center advances an evidence-based agenda to reduce the social costs of crime and punishment. Our priority is to deter crime and reduce violence by building effective systems that deliver proportional punishment swiftly and predictably, and by ensuring law enforcement has the capacity to keep our neighborhoods safe.

Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy that supports research to understand the root causes of America’s most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change and bipartisan policy reforms, AV works to improve the lives of American families, strengthen communities, and promote economic opportunity.

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Utah Jazz Reacts: Who is the most important core player?

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Utah Jazz Reacts: Who is the most important core player?

The Utah Jazz are clearly doing everything they can to keep their pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Something tells me that next season, we won’t see as many players on the injury report as this season. That means that the core of this Jazz team will play, and it’s clear they’re going to play well. The question is, of the current Jazz roster, who is going to be the most important player next season? Now, Utah may win the lottery and that could change this entire question. If Utah drafts someone like Darryn Peterson or AJ Dybantsa, that changes everything. That said, let’s just ignore the lottery and draft for the sake of this question. If we’re looking at the odds, it’s statistically a little more likely Utah doesn’t draft in the top four of the draft anyway.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Jazz fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

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