ElectionLine: Utah SB194 Aims to Strengthen the Election Process and Increase Public Trust

ERN Executive Director Kevin Johnson was featured in ElectionLine to discuss legislation in Utah that would strengthen the guardrails to ensure election official neutrality. The bill requires the Lieutenant Governor conduct conflict-of-interest avoidance planning when running for office and requires county clerks stay neutral in their official role.

The key takeaway:

Voters must be able to have confidence that the officials who run elections are neutral referees acting only to uphold the law.

Potential conflicts of interest can erode this trust, particularly in the current media environment where alleged bad acts receive widespread and often exaggerated attention with national implications.