There seems to be something about the job of being Utah’s lieutenant governor that brings out the best in our politicians.
Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson — like Spencer Cox before her, Greg Bell, Gary Herbert and Olene Walker before him — appears to take great pride in the part of that job that puts her in charge of running the state’s elections.
Soon, it will be the voters’ turn to make democracy work by carefully considering and returning the ballots that should be arriving in their mailboxes in a little more than a week.
All of Utah’s guvs lite have worked hard to encourage registration and voting, to keep the process clean and trustworthy and, since Utah became a national leader in the practice of conducting elections by mail, all have been strong advocates for the process that makes it much easier for all voters to have their thoughtful say in the direction of their democracy.
Because the times call for it, Henderson has outdone them all, speaking clearly and forcefully Thursday against those she rightly called “vigilantes,” who seek to undermine democracy in Utah and beyond by spreading lies and threats. She, as all good Republicans should, quoted Abraham Lincoln’s warning against the threat of the “mobocratic spirit” that has long endangered democracy and the rule of law in America.
For Henderson, this is personal. She, Utah’s 29 county clerks and all of their employees and poll workers face rising amounts of criticism, insults, attacks on their character and their patriotism, even threats of violence, from a small but dangerous number of people who are seeking to sow mistrust and suspicion in ways that baselessly undermine American democracy.
The FBI recently intercepted a letter addressed to Henderson’s office that contained an unidentified white powder, sent by a one or more hooligans identifying themselves as the “United States Traitor Elimination Army.” At least 19 other state elections chiefs had similar packages addressed to them.
Obviously, this atmosphere is the result of the campaign of vicious lies led by former President Donald Trump to falsely claim that his loss in the 2020 election was a result of widespread fraud — fraud he and his followers deceptively say is continuing and is facilitated by mail balloting and any other practice that encourages voter participation.
Some other Republicans in Utah and across the nation also seek to spread doubt in our institutions generally, and our elections specifically, by falsely charging, or perhaps just insinuating, that mail voting encourages fraud and cheating.
That’s a lie.
Henderson, who is not endorsing any candidate in this year’s presidential election, is rightly standing in defense of our election system. And Cox, who cravenly threw his support to Trump, still rightly says that there is no basis for mistrust in our elections.
So, our public officials are doing their jobs. Soon, it will be time to do yours.
Get your ballot. Do your duty.
Ballots will be mailed from county clerks to all Utah registered voters beginning Oct. 15. (If you don’t get yours, check with your local county clerk’s office.)
It’s a system set up to make it easier not just to vote, but to vote thoughtfully.
No longer are voters necessarily corralled into a polling station, all on a single day, standing in line and being smacked with a list of candidates, constitutional issues, bond proposals and judge retentions they may never have heard of before.
Now voters have the luxury of time to spread out their ballots, look at their choices, research voter guides published by The Salt Lake Tribune and the state, consider information from the candidates, the parties and other groups.
Once all that is done, the ballots can be returned through the mail, deposited in one of many official ballot drop boxes scattered around the state or handed in at an official polling station during early voting (starting as soon as Oct. 22) or on Election Day.
Mail balloting works for Utahns living in busy urban areas and for Utahns living in rural areas, far from county clerks, polling stations, even post offices. Our voters have shown they love the practice and voter participation, the goal of real democracy, is way up as a result.
Rumblings from a few, mostly Republican, politicians who want to curtail or end the practice should be ignored.
There are some rules to insure the integrity of the process.
Ballots are only sent to registered voters at their address of record. Ballots will not be forwarded so, if you have moved since you last registered, you must register again.
Registration deadline this year is October 25. You can register in person at your county clerk’s office or online. Or you can register at the polls on early voting days or on Election Day — with two forms of approved ID.
Ballot packages must be signed by the voter. Voters who return their ballots by mail must ensure that they are postmarked by at least the day before Election Day, or November 4. Drop boxes and polling stations are available up until 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 5.
Once you’ve returned your ballot, you can go online to check on its progress.
Utah’s leaders have gone to some trouble to create this system and make it work. Some of them are being maligned and threatened for it.
It’s now up to you, the voters of Utah, to do your part.
