Utah’s new governor does not support Republicans challenging election

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s new governor says he does not agree with a number of Republicans who plan on challenging presidential electoral votes.

Some Republicans challenging votes

Congress meets Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, to count and confirm the results certified by each state. Two members of Utah’s congressional delegation will join over 100 Republican colleagues to object to the certification: Republican Representatives Chris Stewart and Burgess Owens. 

Utah Governor Spencer Cox is in a unique position, after having overseen the state’s elections during his eight years as lieutenant governor.

Speaking with KSL-TV, Cox outlined the audit process that happens in Utah elections.

“We randomly choose different precincts and districts,” he explained. “We audit [voting] machines and we audit the tabulators. We go through and hand count ballots and match them with the numbers that come up.”

Cox adds that the country also has a process for going through allegations of election fraud. In his opinion, the process has already been completed and it’s now time for the nation to move forward. Challenging the results, the governor said, doesn’t make sense.

“It doesn’t make sense what Congress is doing right now,” he said. “I think there’s a clear misreading of what the role of Congress is on this. I’m a Republican and I’ve supported the Republican cause, [but] sometimes we lose.”

Curtis will not object

One Utah Republican in Congress agreeing with the new governor is Rep. John Curtis. He recently announced that he will not object to the Electoral College outcome.

I’ve spent most of today talking with constituents and colleagues about the process tomorrow to certify the #ElectoralCollege results. Here’s why I won’t be objecting. #utpol pic.twitter.com/st0ImdU0Gm

— Rep. John Curtis (@RepJohnCurtis) January 5, 2021

“The Constitution grants Congress the specific authority to count electoral votes, not debate the merits of each state’s election laws or the validity of the electors they choose to send,” he partially said in a statement. “To do so would be to federalize the election process, taking fundamental rights away from states. I have consistently opposed when Democrats have made such attempts and I will not use one standard for my party and a different one for the other.”