{"id":2378955,"date":"2024-12-11T14:07:02","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T19:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utah-republicans-question-mail-in-ballots-after-audits-shows-deceased-and-duplicate-votes-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-12-11T14:08:26","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T19:08:26","slug":"utah-republicans-question-mail-in-ballots-after-audits-shows-deceased-and-duplicate-votes-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utah-republicans-question-mail-in-ballots-after-audits-shows-deceased-and-duplicate-votes-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Utah Republicans question mail-in ballots after audits shows deceased and duplicate votes &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/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-republicans-question-mail-in-ballots-after-audits-shows-deceased-and-duplicate-votes-washington-examiner%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=2378955&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>Republican lawmakers in Utah have expressed concerns\u200c about\u200c the state\u2019s\u2064 mail-in voting system after legislative audits revealed significant flaws \u2063in the electoral process for the 2024 election \u2064cycle. The audits highlighted a 2% error rate\u2064 in\u200d signature verification and identified instances of deceased and duplicate voters, some of whom had\u200d erroneously cast ballots. During a recent\u200b hearing, House Speaker Mike Schultz raised questions \u2063regarding the security of mail-in voting compared to\u2063 conventional in-person voting, suggesting that the audit results where alarming. In \u200bcontrast, House Minority Leader Angela Romero, a Democrat, countered that abandoning\u2064 mail-in voting\u2063 coudl lead to voter disenfranchisement. The discussions reflect an ongoing debate over voting methods in utah.  <\/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<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Utah Republicans question mail-in ballots after audits shows deceased and duplicate votes<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1706744\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Republican lawmakers in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/utah\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Utah<\/a> criticized the state&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mail-in-voting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">mail-in voting<\/a> process after two legislative audits from the 2024 election cycle revealed some flaws in the system.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>After <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/defense-department-officials-racial-justice-book-series-now-being-carried-in-many-dod-k-12-schools\/\" title=\"Defense Department Official\u2019s \u2018Racial Justice\u2019 Book Series Now Being Carried in Many DoD K-12 Schools\">recent audits revealed<\/a> a 2% error rate in signature verification on ballots, and found many deceased and duplicate voters in the elections system, including a few who wrongfully voted, Utah lawmakers met for a hearing this week to discuss the findings.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3220431\/how-elon-musk-helped-trump-back-to-white-house\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>HOW ELON MUSK HELPED WILL TRUMP BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>House Speaker Mike Schultz, a Republican, told colleagues he believed the audits showed &ldquo;concerning&rdquo; signs that mail-in voting isn&rsquo;t as secure as traditional in-person voting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think the question comes, is vote by mail really as secure as in-person voting?&rdquo; Schultz said during a <a href=\"https:\/\/le.utah.gov\/av\/committeeArchive.jsp?mtgID=19395\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">hearing<\/a> of the Legislative Audit Subcommittee. &ldquo;And based off the audits we have in front of us, it&rsquo;s clearly not the case. And that&rsquo;s concerning to me moving forward.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/3177509\/what-maga-gop-will-look-like-post-donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>WHAT MAGA AND THE GOP WILL LOOK LIKE IN A POST-TRUMP ERA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, gavels the 2024 Legislature into session Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, at the Utah State Capitol, in Salt Lake City. (Krisitn Murphy\/The Deseret News via AP, Pool)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>House Minority Leader Angela Romero, a Democrat, disagreed, saying that moving away from voting by mail would discourage people from participating in elections.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I have concerns that people are going to use this audit to try to eliminate vote by mail,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;I want to make sure we are encouraging people to vote and not discouraging people to vote. And I can tell you the way this conversation is going, I worry that we&rsquo;re going to put barriers there so people can&rsquo;t vote.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance-and-economy\/2998312\/congressional-review-act-what-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ACT: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE TOOL REPUBLICANS HOPE TO USE TO UNDO BIDEN RULES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mail-in ballots have enjoyed a massive increase in popularity in recent years. More than 402,000 mail-in ballots were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2024-elections\/utah-results\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">requested<\/a> in Utah during the 2024 election cycle, up from 187,674 absentee ballots cast in the state in 2012, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewtrusts.org\/en\/research-and-analysis\/articles\/2013\/12\/10\/2012-election-snapshot-utah-voters-increase-their-use-of-absentee-ballots-in-2012\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Pew Charitable Trusts<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Utah&rsquo;s latest elections audits found that some 1,400 Utahns who were &ldquo;likely deceased&rdquo; remained on the state&rsquo;s voter rolls after their deaths. Half of the voters in question received ballots in one of the three elections reviewed.<\/p>\n<p>Two of the &ldquo;likely deceased&rdquo; voters cast a ballot in the 2023 municipal elections.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/3223932\/what-is-debate-about-fluoride-water\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>WHAT IS THE DEBATE OVER FLUORIDE IN DRINKING WATER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The audits also discovered 300 duplicate voters in the elections system, which <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">holds approximately 2 million voters&#038;rsquo<\/a>; records. Three Utahns voted twice during one election, while there were hundreds of incidents where two different voters shared the same driver&rsquo;s license number, per the report.<\/p>\n<p>The audit also faulted county clerks across the state for not properly adhering to Utah elections law, particularly the requirement to conduct a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/michigan-removes-177000-voters-from-voter-rolls-after-legal-challenge\/\" title=\"Michigan Removes 177,000 Voters From Voter Rolls After Legal Challenge\">post-election audit<\/a> of 1% of ballots received.<\/p>\n<p>Utah Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, who is a Democrat, blamed &ldquo;improper implementation&rdquo; of already existing safety mechanisms for the problems.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Republican Senate President Stuart Adams noted that mail-in voting has led to improved participation rates in Utah, but also noted that voting in person could help eliminate other problems, including issues with signature verification.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s also given people an opportunity to not be as forthright,&rdquo; he said of mail-in voting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Fraud has probably been a little easier with a mail-in ballot &hellip; than to show up and show your ID. So you see the pros and cons of both systems,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1706744\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1706744\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Utah Republicans raise concerns over mail-in ballots after audits reveal issues with deceased and duplicate voters<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2378956,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Utah-Schulz.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[14366,39540,3756,5764],"class_list":["post-2378955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-audits","tag-mail-in-ballots","tag-republicans","tag-utah"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Utah-Schulz.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2378955","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\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2378955"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2378955\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2378960,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2378955\/revisions\/2378960"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2378956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2378955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2378955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2378955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}