SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — There’s a new development in the Utah legislature’s plans for oversight of Utah’s elections.
State Representative Ryan Wilcox, (R – North Ogden) confirms exclusively to ABC4.com that he is running a bill to create an executive director of elections who would take oversight away from the Lt. Governor’s office.
“I just want to do whatever I can to quash this idea that it’s…Anything personal with the lieutenant governor, the current one or the former one, or anybody else.” Wilcox said. “That’s not it at all. Honestly, I, I think it makes more sense for (the position) to be as independent as possible rather than tied to any campaign.”
In the latest yet-to-be-released version of his bill, Wilcox says the Executive Director would be hired by five of Utah’s county clerks.
That panel of clerks would be appointed collectively by the governor, senate president, house speaker, state treasurer, and state auditor.
“(County clerks) would know far better than other elected officials who don’t study elections, who don’t do those things when they’re hiring an executive director for election,” Wilcox said. “If there’s any malfeasance, if there is anything shady, if we see anything like we saw in other states, then they’re going to be able to see it sooner.”
Wilcox argues that having a Lt. Governor who oversees their own election creates the appearance of a conflict of interest. He acknowledged that county clerks are the ones who are overseeing the counting of the ballots and administering elections, but he said that the Lt. Governor’s office has “big decision authority,” which he said could be problematic.
“For example, when there’s a lawsuit,” he said. “And that’s one of the kind of awkward parts of this. When (the Lt. Governor’s office is) having these lawsuits that involve their own race. Ultimately, it’s the lieutenant governor who is making the decision in those lawsuits. And it’s not (that) she’s not doing anything wrong. I’m not saying any of those things are happening. I’m saying we’ve put her in a very difficult position. The current lieutenant governor, by having this particular structure,” Wilcox said.
It’s not clear yet whether the idea has support amongst the rest of the body, or leadership.
The Lt. Governor did not respond to a request for comment.
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