Election Denial in Utah
1 Election Denier currently holds statewide office with election oversight power.
2 Election Deniers are on the ballot for statewide office.
1 Election Denier has held, or run for, statewide office since 2020.
1 Election Denier are sitting members of Congress.
The landscape in Utah
When conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell told an outrageous lie about Utah elections, Gov. Spencer Cox knew just how to respond. (Lindell’s claims: “Nobody votes in Utah!” and “It’s all just made up!”)
Cox responded that such an allegation was “hilariously idiotic and completely false.” But he used the same tweet to point out that this kind of talk is dangerous, to express gratitude to election officials, and to remind voters to seek truthful information from official sources.
Election Deniers in Utah have pressed ahead. In one failed lawsuit, two conspiracy theorists sought detailed voting data from the state’s 2020 election. The Lieutenant Governor, who under Utah rules oversees the state’s elections, said the pair had “blanketed local elections officials statewide” with requests for data and made bogus promises to uncover misconduct.
In Congress, Utah’s Sen. Mike Lee sought to help with strategy as former President Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election. Lee eventually backed off, but not before voicing early support for Sidney Powell, who promoted some of the wildest conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and later pleaded guilty in Georgia.
Two members of Utah’s House delegation were among the 147 Republicans who voted to overturn election results, even after the Jan. 6 attack.
In March 2024, Election Denier Donald Trump won the Utah Republican presidential caucuses, part of a near-sweep of Super Tuesday nominating contests. Nikki Haley dropped out of the race one day later, making Trump the presumptive nominee.
1 Election Denier holds statewide Office right now.
Elections are run by the states. In Utah, the Governor, Attorney General, and Lieutenant Governor are the state officials responsible for overseeing elections. In most states, the Secretary of State is the chief election official. Utah is an exception: The Lieutenant Governor holds that responsibility. It’s up to all of them to make sure the will of the people is always respected.
Read more about The Roles of Our Elected Officials in Elections
Attorney General of Utah
Term started 2021
Term ends 2025
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Taken action to undermine the integrity of the 2020 presidential election or subsequent election cycles, including:
Filing or supporting litigation seeking to overturn the results based on conspiracies or baseless legal theories.
Filing or supporting litigation that was sanctioned for being malicious or without merit in the aftermath of an election.
Promoting or participating in a Stop the Steal–sponsored or branded event or rally during or following the 2020 election.
Calling for a “forensic audit” of the 2020 presidential election or a race in subsequent elections after the results were certified, were officially audited, or stood up to multiple legal challenges.
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Falsely claimed former President Trump won the 2020 presidential election instead of the legitimate winner, President Biden.
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Spread lies or promoted conspiracies about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election or subsequent election cycles in public, including in social media, press statements, or comments to the press.
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Refused to certify, or called on or pressured election officials to refuse to certify, the 2020 presidential election results or a race in subsequent elections based on meritless claims about election fraud, voter fraud, misinformation, or lies.
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Refused to concede a race, or publicly supported a candidate’s refusal to concede a race, after the results were officially audited or stood up to multiple legal challenges.
2 Election Deniers are on statewide Ballots in races we're tracking.
Utah has a race in 2024 for at least one of the statewide offices that oversee elections. Here are the candidates.
Read more about The Roles of Our Elected Officials in Elections
Running for Governor of Utah
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Refused to certify, or called on or pressured election officials to refuse to certify, the 2020 presidential election results or a race in subsequent elections based on meritless claims about election fraud, voter fraud, misinformation, or lies.
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Taken action to undermine the integrity of the 2020 presidential election or subsequent election cycles, including:
Filing or supporting litigation seeking to overturn the results based on conspiracies or baseless legal theories.
Filing or supporting litigation that was sanctioned for being malicious or without merit in the aftermath of an election.
Promoting or participating in a Stop the Steal–sponsored or branded event or rally during or following the 2020 election.
Calling for a “forensic audit” of the 2020 presidential election or a race in subsequent elections after the results were certified, were officially audited, or stood up to multiple legal challenges.
-
Falsely claimed former President Trump won the 2020 presidential election instead of the legitimate winner, President Biden.
-
Spread lies or promoted conspiracies about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election or subsequent election cycles in public, including in social media, press statements, or comments to the press.
-
Refused to concede a race, or publicly supported a candidate’s refusal to concede a race, after the results were officially audited or stood up to multiple legal challenges.
Running for Governor of Utah
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Spread lies or promoted conspiracies about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election or subsequent election cycles in public, including in social media, press statements, or comments to the press.
-
Taken action to undermine the integrity of the 2020 presidential election or subsequent election cycles, including:
Filing or supporting litigation seeking to overturn the results based on conspiracies or baseless legal theories.
Filing or supporting litigation that was sanctioned for being malicious or without merit in the aftermath of an election.
Promoting or participating in a Stop the Steal–sponsored or branded event or rally during or following the 2020 election.
Calling for a “forensic audit” of the 2020 presidential election or a race in subsequent elections after the results were certified, were officially audited, or stood up to multiple legal challenges.
-
Falsely claimed former President Trump won the 2020 presidential election instead of the legitimate winner, President Biden.
-
Refused to certify, or called on or pressured election officials to refuse to certify, the 2020 presidential election results or a race in subsequent elections based on meritless claims about election fraud, voter fraud, misinformation, or lies.
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Refused to concede a race, or publicly supported a candidate’s refusal to concede a race, after the results were officially audited or stood up to multiple legal challenges.
1 Election Denier is sitting members of congress right now.
Election Deniers make up 17 percent of Utah’s 6-member Congressional delegation. Members of Congress have a public platform to build up or tear down trust in our elections. And they have concrete responsibilities, too, such as determining federal funding for elections.
Read more about The Roles of Our Elected Officials in Elections
Representative of Utah, District 4
Term started 2023
Term ends 2025
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Refused to certify, or called on or pressured election officials to refuse to certify, the 2020 presidential election results or a race in subsequent elections based on meritless claims about election fraud, voter fraud, misinformation, or lies.
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Falsely claimed former President Trump won the 2020 presidential election instead of the legitimate winner, President Biden.
-
Spread lies or promoted conspiracies about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election or subsequent election cycles in public, including in social media, press statements, or comments to the press.
-
Taken action to undermine the integrity of the 2020 presidential election or subsequent election cycles, including:
Filing or supporting litigation seeking to overturn the results based on conspiracies or baseless legal theories.
Filing or supporting litigation that was sanctioned for being malicious or without merit in the aftermath of an election.
Promoting or participating in a Stop the Steal–sponsored or branded event or rally during or following the 2020 election.
Calling for a “forensic audit” of the 2020 presidential election or a race in subsequent elections after the results were certified, were officially audited, or stood up to multiple legal challenges.
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Refused to concede a race, or publicly supported a candidate’s refusal to concede a race, after the results were officially audited or stood up to multiple legal challenges.
How Utah compares
Every state runs its own elections, with its own laws and processes. Check out how Utah compares with other states in its region when it comes to Election Deniers holding state election administration jobs.
Election Denial in Rocky Mountain States
| Moreinformation about Colorado | |||||||
| Moreinformation about Idaho | |||||||
| Moreinformation about Montana | |||||||
| Lieutenant Governor | Moreinformation about Utah | ||||||
| Moreinformation about Wyoming |
Sitting official is an Election Denier
- In Utah, the chief election official is the Lieutenant Governor, elected alongside the Governor.
Election Denial in Ongoing Races
0 | 0 State Commissioner of Elections | Moreinformation about Delaware | |||
2 | 1 | 0 | Moreinformation about Indiana | ||
4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | Moreinformation about Missouri | |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Moreinformation about Montana | |
0 | 0 | Moreinformation about New Hampshire | |||
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 State Elections Board | Moreinformation about North Carolina | |
1 | 0 | Moreinformation about North Dakota | |||
1 | 0 | 0 | Moreinformation about Oregon | ||
0 | 0 | Moreinformation about Pennsylvania | |||
2 | 0 | 0 Lieutenant Governor | Moreinformation about Utah | ||
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Moreinformation about Vermont | |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Moreinformation about Washington | |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Moreinformation about West Virginia |
States are colored by the number of Election Deniers running for office:
0
1
2
3+
1 Election Denier has held, or has run for, statewide Office since 2020.
Even one Election Denier with election oversight power is a threat to the will of the people. Here are the Election Deniers who have sought control over Utah elections in recent years.
Attorney General of Utah
Term started 2021
Term ends 2025
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Taken action to undermine the integrity of the 2020 presidential election or subsequent election cycles, including:
Filing or supporting litigation seeking to overturn the results based on conspiracies or baseless legal theories.
Filing or supporting litigation that was sanctioned for being malicious or without merit in the aftermath of an election.
Promoting or participating in a Stop the Steal–sponsored or branded event or rally during or following the 2020 election.
Calling for a “forensic audit” of the 2020 presidential election or a race in subsequent elections after the results were certified, were officially audited, or stood up to multiple legal challenges.
-
Falsely claimed former President Trump won the 2020 presidential election instead of the legitimate winner, President Biden.
-
Spread lies or promoted conspiracies about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election or subsequent election cycles in public, including in social media, press statements, or comments to the press.
-
Refused to certify, or called on or pressured election officials to refuse to certify, the 2020 presidential election results or a race in subsequent elections based on meritless claims about election fraud, voter fraud, misinformation, or lies.
-
Refused to concede a race, or publicly supported a candidate’s refusal to concede a race, after the results were officially audited or stood up to multiple legal challenges.
Voter turnout over time
Voters are always the backstop against election denial, whether Election Deniers are already in office or vying for power. It’s important to turn out for every election in your state—and to vote in every race on your ballot. Downballot races, like contests for Attorney General and Secretary of State, have historically drawn fewer voters, even though the positions are critical to keeping elections free, fair, and secure. Here’s a look at voter participation in Utah elections over time. Notice that in years with several important positions up for election, some voters choose not to vote in every race.
Voter Participation in Utah Since 2016
- #071B40
- President
- #2455A0
- Senator
- #4387F1
- Governor
- #A7C5F3
- Attorney General
- #EDF3FD
- Secretary of State
2016 Presidential
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President had a 59% voter turnout rate
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Senator had a 59% voter turnout rate
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Governor had a 59% voter turnout rate
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Attorney General had a 58% voter turnout rate
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2018 Midterm
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Senator had a 54% voter turnout rate
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2020 Presidential
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President had a 72% voter turnout rate
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Governor had a 70% voter turnout rate
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Attorney General had a 70% voter turnout rate
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2022 Midterm
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Senator had a 49% voter turnout rate
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Voter turnout
Data on the number of votes cast in each race are from state elections depositories, supplemented with data from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), House Election Statistics, and The Book of States. Rates are calculated using the Census’s Citizen Voting Age Population (CVAP) estimates.
Beyond the ballot box
Each year, state legislators introduce thousands of bills related to elections. And in the past few years, we’ve identified a concerning trend. Across the country, state legislatures are considering bills that would make it easier for partisan actors to manipulate an election, and maybe even overturn the will of the people. We’re tracking these bills along with our partners in an ongoing series of reports called “A Democracy Crisis in the Making.” All told, in the 2023 legislative cycle, we identified 196 bills that were introduced in 39 states that would interfere with election administration. Ultimately, 21 of those bills became law across 15 states, while 7 bills were vetoed across 2 states.
The anti-democracy playbook is simple: change the rules and change the referees, in order to change the results. These bills go hand-in-hand with the Election Denier movement: They’re about taking power away from voters and making it harder for trusted election officials to do their jobs.
Legislative Interference in Utah by Category
As of November 15, 2023, 2 bills had been introduced or were under consideration in Utah. 2 have been enacted or adopted and none have been vetoed after passing.
These bills show that the threat to elections in Utah, and all across the country, goes well beyond the ballot box.
- Imposing disproportionate criminal or other penalties.These bills would create or expand penalties for election officials in the ordinary execution of their jobs, including criminalizing inadvertent mistakes.
- Creating unworkable burdens in election administration.These bills would interfere with the basic procedures of election administration, increasing the risk of chaos and delay and enabling misleading claims of irregularity.
- Usurping control over election results.These bills would give legislators or other state officials direct control over election outcomes.
- Requiring partisan or unprofessional election “audits” or reviews.These bills would establish vague post-election review schemes without the professional standards of traditional audits.
- Seizing power over election responsibilities.These bills would shift election administration responsibilities away from professional, nonpartisan officials and toward partisan actors in the legislature.
Two of these bills were enacted. They fell into the categories of imposing disproportionate criminal or other penalties and creating unworkable burdens in election administration.