ST. GEORGE — Following a recount for the GOP primary race for Utah’s 2nd Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Celeste Maloy maintains her lead over challenger Colby Jenkins – albeit with a tighter margin than before.
This file photo shows U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy, right, R-Utah, and Colby Jenkins look on during Utah’s 2nd Congressional district debate at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, June 10, 2024, | Photo by Scott G. Winterton / The Deseret News via The Associated Press, St. George News
Where 214 votes originally gave Maloy the lead over Jenkins, that has shrunk to 176, according to numbers reported on state elections results website. Maloy has 53,777 votes (50.08%) to Jenkins’ 53,601 votes (49.92%) as of Monday evening.
Prior to the recount, Maloy had 53,728 votes to Jenkins’ 53,534. This put the race within the 0.25% margin allowing for a recount, which Jenkins requested last Monday.
Despite trailing Maloy, Jenkins previously filed a case asking the Utah Supreme Court to examine aspects of the election and votes that were not counted.
While some counting problems were reported in Washington and Tooele counties last week, the recount appears to have concluded on Monday without any additional issues.
Washington County
In Washington County, Jenkins maintains his near-60% lead over Maloy.
Washington County Clerk/Auditor Ryan Sullivan was set to present the recount results to the Washington County Commission for certification last Friday, but an issue involving vote machines not counting adjudicated ballots stalled the process at the time.
Washington County Clerk/Auditor Ryan Sullivan speaks to the Washington County Commission about the recount results of the 2nd Congressional District GOP primary race, St. George, Utah, Aug. 5, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Washington County / CEC, St. George News
The problem ballots were not counted by the machines initially due to issues such as unclear markings, stray marks or other discrepancies. In these cases, election officials examine the ballots – or adjudicate them – and determine the voter’s intent and decide how to properly count the votes. Once done the ballots are sent back through the system to be counted.
The first recount attempt July 30-31 was disrupted by the adjudicated ballots, as was a second attempt at the recount last Friday. On Saturday, county officials tried a third time under the observation of representatives from the Lt. Governor’s Office and the election software vendor the county used.
The third attempt succeeded, Sullivan said.
Sullivan also addressed the late postmark issue that has previously been covered by St. George News.
In all, 659 ballots sent through the mail were postmarked on or after the primary election date. State law requires mail-in ballots to be postmarked no later than the day before the election. Of the 659 late ballots, 101 had unclear postmarks. The latter were not counted due to the inability to verify when they were originally marked, he said.
Sullivan’s office conducted an experiment involving postmarked letters sent from different places and times in St. George. Letters dropped at a post office either in an outdoor mailbox or at the counter inside before the last mail trucks went to Las Vegas were either marked the same day or the day after. Letters dropped off after the trucks left tended to be marked the next day.
Washington County Clerk/Auditor Ryan Sullivan speaks to the Washington County Commission about the recount results of the 2nd Congressional District GOP primary race, St. George, Utah, Aug. 5, 2024 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
One outlier was postmarked four days after it was mailed.
“That would be my last resort,” Sullivan said of sending ballots through the mail. He urged voters to either use one of the county’s 17 drop boxes to deposit their ballots or vote in person at a voting center instead.
For voters who may have no other option but to use the mail, Sullivan recommended they mail their ballots as early as possible to avoid possible postmark problems.
Overall, 36,657 ballots were cast in the Republican primary in Washington County with a voter turnout of 53.11%. Of that total, 2,405 were not counted due to various issues including late postmarks, having signatures that could not be verified, having bad addresses and so on.
At the end of it all, Sullivan said he wants voters to know that he and his office are dedicated to producing accurate and trustworthy election results.
“As God is my witness, I swear to you as the Board of Canvassers and to the voters Washington County,” Sullivan said as he spoke to the County Commission, “that I feel confident we have accounted for all the valid ballots in this recount.”
The Washington County Commission went on to unanimously certify the recount results.
Iron County
Meanwhile, in Parowan on Monday morning, the Iron County Commission voted 2-1 to ratify the results of the recount, with Paul Cozzens casting the dissenting vote.
As previously reported, Iron County officials checked a sampling of 314 ballots, just over 3% of the overall vote, and verified the votes for Jenkins and Maloy on each ballot.
L-R: This file photo shows Iron County Clerk Jon Whittaker, Deputy Clerk Shaneal Bess and Commissioner Mike Bleak counting ballots for the 2nd Congressional District race recount canvass, Parowan, Utah, Aug. 1, 2024 | Photo by Jeff Richards, Cedar City News / St. George News
Iron County’s only change from its original canvass was that Jenkins ended up with one additional vote.
“It basically had both ovals filled in,” Iron County Clerk Jonathan Whittaker said on Monday of the ballot in question. “Sometimes they’ll put an X through one, but it had an extra line, so it looked like a star. So we were like, do you mean this one or not this one? And on the first time through, we said, ‘Oh, that’s an overvote.’ And on the second time through, we said, ‘No, that was a vote for Jenkins.’ We adjudicated it differently.”
The slight adjustment gave Jenkins 4,509 votes in Iron County (46.5%) to Maloy’s total of 5,187 (53.5%). Although commissioners Mike Bleak and Marilyn Wood both voted in favor of ratifying the results of the recount canvass, Cozzens once again dissented, saying, in part, “At the end of the day, we will never see rural Utah represented or protected if we keep acting as a rubber stamp as we certify bad elections.”
As previously reported, Cozzens voted against ratifying the county’s initial canvass on July 9, saying that more than 400 voters in Iron County whose ballots had arrived with a late postmark had effectively been disenfranchised.
This file photo shows Iron County Commissioner Paul Cozzens listening during a commission meeting, Parowan, Utah, Aug. 28, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News
“Moving back to in-person voting with an opt-in option (for mail-in ballots) is a little more effort but it solves most of the problems we have faced in the last six years of elections in Iron County,” Cozzens added, saying that he has volunteered personally install secure ballot collection boxes at selected locations.
“I’m worried about this November election,” he added. “I’ve offered to go out and install those boxes to help with people being able to drop (their ballots) into drop boxes and getting them back to us. I applaud that process, and I think that’ll help a lot.
“I still worry about getting ballots, but as leaders, we are elected to represent our voters,” Cozzens added, explaining the rationale for his nay vote. “They trust us to uphold the integrity of our elections, and that’s what I will do today.”
Cedar City News / St. George News report Jeff Richards contributed to this story.
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