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RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF ELECTION INTEGRITY REFORMS

Sponsored by Brandon Beckham

 

WHEREAS, Article 4, Section 4 of the United States Constitution guarantees a “Republican Form of Government,” which is defined as self-government, where the will of the people is expressed through their elected representatives, making trustworthy elections fundamental to our political system;


WHEREAS, American voters and candidates depend on and are entitled to government-run, taxpayer-funded elections being fair, transparent, verifiable, accurate, and secure. When any aspect of that standard is legitimately deemed faulty or unreliable, public confidence in the election process is compromised and the protection of all other individual rights is threatened;


WHEREAS, the recent increase in cases of election fraud across the nation, including a former member of Congress, underscores diminishing public trust in our elections;


WHEREAS, as part of an independent voter canvas effort (2021-2022) to assess the level of errors and risks in Utah elections, a survey of 4,094 voters across six counties revealed troubling issues, including lost votes, ineligible votes, ineligible registered voters, extra ballots, mismatched votes, and phantom votes;


WHEREAS, a recent national poll reveals 84% of likely voters believe election integrity is an important key issue, with 61% indicating it is very important; another national poll indicates voters support the requirement that ballots be available after elections to verify that each ballot is valid and that individual ballot selections and hand-recount totals are crosschecked with machine results;


WHEREAS, in exceedingly close races, voters and candidates are entitled to verification remedies such as audits and hand-recount measures that do not financially overburden candidates;


RESOLVED, the Utah Republican Party stands firm in upholding the U.S. Constitution and safeguarding the right of the people to accurately express their voice through trustworthy elections;


RESOLVED, the Utah Republican Party recognizes and commends the work of our county clerks and the legislative measures previously enacted by our Republican-led legislature and recommends, based on considerable feedback from voters and candidates around the state, additional election law reforms that implement the following:

  • Provide measures for more accurate, risk-limiting type audits;

  • Raise the auto-recount threshold based on a legislative-directed, statistical analysis;

  • Permit recounts to be perform by hand upon request in any race with reasonable fees;

  • Permit candidates to use campaign funds for related audit, recount, and legal expenses;

  • Reimburse any fees to the requesting candidate when an audit or recount results in a reversal;

  • Provide and require continuing training for permanent full-time county elections staff;

  • Require ‘withheld voters’ to confirm their qualification for that status prior to the 2024 presidential election;

  • Ensure the qualification for ‘withheld voter’ status is based on cause;

  • Implement measures to validate voter identification for mail-in balloting;

  • Provide uniform accommodations and rules for campaign signage on public property;

  • Incorporate stricter penalties and stronger enforcement of election law and voter fraud;

  • Require the state elections office to maintain three different copies of voter data: 10 days prior to election, on election day, and when results are certified - including the percentage of ‘withheld voters’;

  • Conduct a study to reorganize the state elections office to include the possibilities of an elected Secretary of State, an independent election board, or other viable options.


CO-SPONSORS
 

Carson Jorgensen, Ben Summerhalder, Chris Null, Tony Robinson, Mac Sims, Jimi Kestin, Bob McEntee, Kristen Chevrier, Larry Meyers, Kim Coleman, Aaron Bullen, John Morris, Olivia Horlacher Williams, Blaine Nay, Drew Combs, Parl Johnson, Lowell Nelson, Teena Horlacher, Elizabeth Carlin, David Pyne, Lyndon Brittner, Leif Ernst, Tina Urbanik, Celeste Meyeres, Kris Kimball, Dalane England, Helen Redd, Wendy Hart, Josh Daniels, Amelia Powers, Nate Brooksby, Heidi Balderree, Matthew Westrich, Tom Hansen, Mari Eddy, Dale Millsap


REQUIREMENTS FOR DISTRIBUTION
 

  • This resolution shall be made public, including co-sponsors, via an official Utah GOP press release and published on the homepage of the Party’s website and social media accounts.


  • Digital copies of this resolution shall be emailed from Chairman Jorgensen to members of the Utah GOP federal delegation and Republican state-level elected officials including, members of the Utah House and Senate, the governor and lieutenant governor, the attorney general, and state auditor.


  • An official email shall be sent from Chairman Jorgensen to rank and file members of the Utah GOP regarding the passage of this resolution.


 

* This resolution became an open letter to Republican legislators.


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