{"id":2306879,"date":"2024-07-23T14:12:02","date_gmt":"2024-07-23T18:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utah-certifies-primary-despite-alleged-voter-disenfranchisement\/"},"modified":"2024-07-23T14:14:21","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T18:14:21","slug":"utah-certifies-primary-despite-alleged-voter-disenfranchisement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utah-certifies-primary-despite-alleged-voter-disenfranchisement\/","title":{"rendered":"Utah Certifies Primary Despite Alleged Voter Disenfranchisement"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futah-certifies-primary-despite-alleged-voter-disenfranchisement%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2306879&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Voting system\u2063 has come under scrutiny following this \u200dincident, \u2062as concerns about ballot security and integrity have been raised. It is crucial for election officials to ensure that every vote is counted and that\u2063 the voting\u200b process\u200d is fair \u2064and transparent.<\/p>\n<p>Moving forward, it is important for\u200d Utah officials to address this issue and implement\u2063 measures to prevent similar \u200ddisenfranchisement\u2062 in \u200cfuture elections. \u200dThis incident highlights the\u2062 importance of having\u2062 reliable and efficient mail processing systems in place\u2062 to ensure\u2063 that voters&#8217; ballots are postmarked correctly and counted on time.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-body body-md bdr-top-black pt-30\">\n<div class=\"row justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12\">\n<figure class=\"article-thumbnail mb-30 mb-sm-60\">\n<div class=\"article-thumbnail-caption d-flex align-items-center justify-content-md-end label-xs mt-15\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-camera me-10\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Image Credit<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/flickr.com\/photos\/cindyshebley\/50174082391\/in\/photolist-qr6XE-2k4kx8G-2k4kwSr-2k4kybU-4mmorw-qrcbQ-2jrHhE4-5t5chV-qr7co-qspXK-2jx2m9E-5z8Y4J-qr72p-ssCKgL-rGLVxX-2jZK2V5-qr77H-R64QU5-5xPJBX-dkFDfE-8LZiq5-5u1Scy-qspMR-2jW1zv2-qsq2m-qspR5-ssCEbL-qspUR-2jx2mez-2nUNMTb-qr7m2-cbC4go-2nUNMNG-2jNcwzY-2nUoUBY-2jAJS5W-2jZPvqw-2k3fRuh-2jZNK32-5t5czp-2k1wobu-2jVgGXt-2jZPvry-2jZNK5r-2jZK2Rx-2jZPvsR-2jZPvts-2jZNK82-2jZK2Sj-2jZPvqM\">Cindy Shebley \/ Flickr <\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>       <\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-share text-center article-share-simple\">\n<h5 class=\"label-sm mb-10\">Share<\/h5>\n<ul class=\"article-share-list list-unstyled m-0 p-0\">\n<li class=\"article-share-facebook m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/23\/utah-certifies-primary-despite-claims-its-all-mail-voting-system-disenfranchised-hundreds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Facebook<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-twitter m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Utah%20Certifies%20Primary%20Despite%20Claims%20Its%20All-Mail%20Voting%20System%20Disenfranchised%20Hundreds&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/23\/utah-certifies-primary-despite-claims-its-all-mail-voting-system-disenfranchised-hundreds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Twitter<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-truth-social m-0\">       <a href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/share?title=Utah%20Certifies%20Primary%20Despite%20Claims%20Its%20All-Mail%20Voting%20System%20Disenfranchised%20Hundreds&amp;url=https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/23\/utah-certifies-primary-despite-claims-its-all-mail-voting-system-disenfranchised-hundreds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" fill=\"currentColor\" style=\"width:36px;height:auto;\" viewbox=\"0 0 92 93\"><path d=\"M69.444 55.716H56.772v10.37h12.672zM64.487 37.795V27.32H38.666v38.664h13.18v-28.19zM21.05 27.321h12.653v10.471H21.051z\" https:><\/path><\/svg>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article on Truth Social<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-link m-0\">       <button data-clipboard-text=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/23\/utah-certifies-primary-despite-claims-its-all-mail-voting-system-disenfranchised-hundreds\/\" data-tooltip-content=\"Copied!\" class=\"clip tooltip\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-link-variant\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Copy Article Link<\/span>       <\/button>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\">       <a href=\"mailto:?subject=Utah%20Certifies%20Primary%20Despite%20Claims%20Its%20All-Mail%20Voting%20System%20Disenfranchised%20Hundreds&amp;body=Utah%20certified%20its%20primary%20results%20on%20Monday%20amid%20claims%20from%20electors%20the%20state's%20all-mail%20voting%20system%20disenfranchised%20their%20votes.%20https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/23\/utah-certifies-primary-despite-claims-its-all-mail-voting-system-disenfranchised-hundreds\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">         <i class=\"mdi mdi-email\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>         <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Share Article via Email<\/span>       <\/a>     <\/li>\n<li class=\"article-share-email m-0\"><span class=\"printfriendly pf-button  pf-alignleft\"><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/#\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" onclick=\"window.print(); return false;\" title=\"Printer Friendly, PDF &amp; Email\"><span id=\"printfriendly-text2\" class=\"pf-button-text\"><i class=\"mdi mdi-printer\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>Utah Lt. Gov. <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/04\/25\/utah-gop-gov-spencer-coxs-reelection-campaign-is-bankrolled-by-far-left-democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Deidre Henderson<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stgeorgeutah.com\/news\/archive\/2024\/07\/22\/und-utahs-2024-primary-election-results-are-certified-but-recount-other-challenges-loom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">certified<\/a> the state&rsquo;s recent primary election results on Monday amid allegations from electors that the state&rsquo;s all<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/30000-noncitizens-in-colorado-receive-voter-registration-notices\/\" title=\"30,000 Noncitizens in Colorado Receive Voter Registration Notices\">-mail voting system<\/a> disenfranchised their votes.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Statewide and multicounty canvass is complete,&rdquo; Henderson <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DeidreHenderson\/status\/1815476090976325921\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a> on X. &ldquo;Much gratitude for the county clerks, poll workers, candidates, and voters who made it all happen.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-cbcb859b09abac2ef2998ed8fac0a438 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-cbcb859b09abac2ef2998ed8fac0a438\"><\/div>\n<p>The Beehive State&rsquo;s certification of its June 25 primary results did not come without controversy. In the weeks following the contest, it became clear that hundreds of ballots mailed by voters in Utah&rsquo;s southern counties had not been counted due to what county officials believe was a postmark <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/11\/utah-voters-say-their-votes-were-tossed-after-usps-routed-ballots-to-vegas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">issue<\/a>, despite voters&rsquo; purported adherence to state law.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike most states, Utah employs an <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Election_administration_in_Utah\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">all-mail voting system<\/a> in which voters on the Beehive State&rsquo;s registration lists are automatically mailed a ballot ahead of Election Day. State law requires voters&rsquo; mail ballots to be &ldquo;postmarked by the day before Election Day,&rdquo; according to Ballotpedia.<\/p>\n<p>While the aforementioned voters claimed to have mailed their ballots on or prior to the postmark deadline, their votes were not counted. As I previously <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/11\/utah-voters-say-their-votes-were-tossed-after-usps-routed-ballots-to-vegas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote<\/a> in these pages, the issue apparently stemmed from how the U.S. Postal Service processes mail for approximately nine southern Utah counties. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stgeorgeutah.com\/news\/archive\/2024\/07\/07\/tds-iron-county-commissioner-refuses-to-certify-primary-election-results-amid-controversy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">St. George News<\/a>, mail processing for the region &ldquo;has shifted&rdquo; from Provo, Utah, to Las Vegas, Nevada, &ldquo;where it is scanned, barcoded, and postmarked.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Local officials <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stgeorgeutah.com\/news\/archive\/2024\/07\/07\/tds-iron-county-commissioner-refuses-to-certify-primary-election-results-amid-controversy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hypothesized<\/a> that routing these counties&rsquo; mail to Las Vegas for processing produced a scenario in which ballots mailed before June 24 were postmarked after the deadline.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2d85d02ce082ad82824c8279eb182b88 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2d85d02ce082ad82824c8279eb182b88\"><\/div>\n<p>While it remains unknown how many ballots weren&rsquo;t tabulated due to this specific issue, &ldquo;nearly 1,200 ballots were not counted in five counties because they were not postmarked in time,&rdquo; according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/news\/politics\/2024\/07\/19\/colby-jenkins-files-federal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Salt Lake Tribune<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>The disenfranchisement of hundreds of voters could have potentially affected the outcome of one of Utah&rsquo;s GOP congressional primaries. The state&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/electionresults.utah.gov\/results\/public\/utah\/elections\/primary06252024\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">certified election results<\/a> show Rep. Celeste Maloy beat challenger Colby Jenkins by 214 votes, a 0.2-point margin, in the race to become the Republican nominee for Utah&rsquo;s 2nd Congressional District. According to Utah law, candidates who lose by a 0.25-point margin or less can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/news\/politics\/2024\/07\/09\/headed-recount-rep-celeste-maloys\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">request<\/a> an official recount in the week following the state&rsquo;s official canvass.<\/p>\n<p>Jenkins campaign manager Greg Powers <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2024\/07\/11\/utah-voters-say-their-votes-were-tossed-after-usps-routed-ballots-to-vegas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">previously told<\/a> The Federalist that Jenkins would request a recount at some point after the state certified the primary results. He also underscored how the postmark debacle brought to light the flaws with Utah&rsquo;s all-mail voting system.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;With all-mail voting, we&rsquo;re counting on the Post Office, and the Post Office is notoriously a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utahns-say-their-votes-were-tossed-after-ballots-sent-to-vegas\/\" title=\"Utahns Say Their Votes Were Tossed After Ballots Sent To Vegas\">giant federal government bureaucracy<\/a> that&rsquo;s not running efficiently,&rdquo; Powers said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve turned our elections over to it, and now we see the consequences of that.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-c47e1ecfaf514c8e2ae47e764ac89e9f fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-c47e1ecfaf514c8e2ae47e764ac89e9f\"><\/div>\n<p>A lawsuit filed on July 17 by Jenkins and several Utah voters that attempted to delay certification of the state&rsquo;s primary results to ensure electors affected by the postmark issue could have their ballots counted was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deseret.com\/utah\/2024\/07\/19\/colby-jenkins-utah-lawsuit-late-postmarked-ballots\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">denied<\/a> by an Obama-appointed judge last week.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-98f68c4e0c85d263efad0092ceb827c4 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-98f68c4e0c85d263efad0092ceb827c4\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<div class=\"article-author-description fst-italic\">      Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-american-freedom-convoy-set-to-launch-on-march-1\/\" title=\"Exclusive: \u2018American Freedom Convoy\u2019 Set To Launch On March 1\">state content writer<\/a> for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-30 bdr-top-bold-black\">\n<div class=\"row g-0 align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6\">\n<div class=\"article-author-profile d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center justify-content-md-start\">\n<div class=\"article-author-details\">\n<div class=\"label-md\">Shawn Fleetwood<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author-twitter label-sm d-flex align-items-center mt-10\">             <i class=\"mdi mdi-twitter me-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>             <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Visit on Twitter<\/span>            <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ShawnFleetwood\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"text-decoration-none\" rel=\"noopener\">@ShawnFleetwood<\/a>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 d-flex justify-content-center justify-content-md-end mt-15 mt-md-0\">        <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/author\/shawnfleetwood\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">More Articles<\/a>     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-tags bdr-top-black mt-30 mt-sm-60 pt-15 pt-md-45\">\n<ul class=\"list-unstyled d-flex flex-wrap align-items-center mb-0 mx-n10 p-0\">\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/automatic-vote-by-mail-system\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">automatic vote by mail system<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/colby-jenkins\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Colby Jenkins<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/election-certification\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">election certification<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/election-integrity\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">election integrity<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/elections\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Elections<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/gop-primaries\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">GOP primaries<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/mail-in-ballots\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">mail-in ballots<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/mail-in-voting\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">mail-in voting<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/utah\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">Utah<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"mt-10 mx-10\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/tag\/voter-disenfranchisement\/\" class=\"btn btn-black btn-small\">voter disenfranchisement<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Voting system\u2063 has come under scrutiny following this \u200dincident, \u2062as concerns about ballot security and integrity have been raised. It is crucial for election officials to ensure that every vote is counted and that\u2063 the voting\u200b process\u200d is fair \u2064and transparent. Moving forward, it is important for\u200d Utah officials to address this issue and implement\u2063 &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2306880,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/50174082391_086565f6ab_k-e1702405724964.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4909,5764,35908],"class_list":["post-2306879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-primary","tag-utah","tag-voter-disenfranchisement"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/50174082391_086565f6ab_k-e1702405724964.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2306879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2306879"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2306879\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2306880"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2306879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2306879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2306879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}