Utahns must commit to accepting the election results now – Deseret News

Elections are difficult.

They are not easy for those who run; they don’t take it easy on those who vote. But as citizens of the best state in the best country in the world, we have a responsibility to support their results—no matter who wins.

As a former county commissioner, governor and lieutenant governor, I have had the honor of overseeing dozens of elections in our state. On November 5th, we will elect many of our fellow Utahns to high office at the county, state and federal levels. We will also choose our next president. Now that we are in the midst of the election campaign, I would like to pause and take a moment to make some suggestions for how “We the People” should close out this election season.

In 2000, 2016 and 2020, election results were disputed by groups of different political backgrounds. Each of their claims of widespread election fraud, fraud, or excessive foreign influence have been discredited over time.

Election denial is nothing new. Individuals and groups seeking to advance their own party have organized to sow doubt and promote false theories that cast doubt on the election results.

I think we have to be better in Utah.

We must all commit ourselves, regardless of the election results, to not fall into the dangerous trap of election denial. Political violence or threats against our local election officials, county clerks, or the Lieutenant Governor are unacceptable and should be condemned, especially when there is no evidence of fraud.

I encourage Utahns to act as peacemakers on Election Day and set an example of how to interact with others politely and respectfully while exercising their right to vote.

Called the brightest star on our American flag, Utah conducts our elections very professionally. We are fortunate to have safeguards and systems in place to ensure the reliability of election results at the local and state level. I have faith in the system because I know many of the people responsible for running it and trust them to run our elections correctly. Our state has consistently demonstrated how elections should be conducted.

I applaud our Legislature, State Board of Elections, county clerks and local volunteers for their commitment to continually improve access to the ballot while making the tabulation process more efficient and transparent. As has been demonstrated in previous years, our election laws provide a process that, when applied faithfully, is both strong enough to produce reliable results and capable of promptly correcting any errors that arise. Where improvements can be made, they should be made. If you have suggestions for improving this process, please contact your state legislator or county clerk.

After I became the 17th Governor of Utah, I founded the Herbert Institute at Utah Valley University, and more recently we have focused on election integrity. I tasked our team with answering the questions many people are asking:

“Are our elections secure?”

“Can We Trust Utah’s Election System?”

“Are the voting data accurate?”

After careful analysis and research into this issue, the report concludes: “We are fortunate to live in the state and can confidently say that our votes are counted and the vote counting process is safe and secure.” (You can read the full report, Voter Access and Ballot Security.)

If you are still concerned about the security of our elections, I suggest you do the following:

First, use a voting method that you are confident in using. If you prefer to vote in person, please do so.

Second, consider visiting a ballot processing center where mail-in ballots will be counted. The strict procedures and safety precautions our election officials follow can give you peace of mind. In Utah, we have been using some form of mail-in voting for over 30 years. We had good leadership and enough time to ensure mail-in voting was conducted efficiently and accurately.

Third, I would encourage those people who are able to contact your county clerk and volunteer to serve as an observer at your local polling place. This will give you first-hand experience of our democratic process in action. You can help enforce our laws and make every effort to ensure the security and accuracy of our elections.

The strength of our democratic republic is measured not only by the institutions of government we have, but by the trust that “We the People” have in those institutions. As Utahns, we have a responsibility to participate in the sacred process of voting. And after we do it, we must respect the result.

I encourage you to make your voice heard by voting, and I encourage you to peacefully and respectfully accept the results of the election, no matter who wins.