Salt Lake City - It was revealed on Aug 30th, that the Utah Republican Party colluded with leaders of the Utah Legislature’s Republican Supermajority to avoid a transparent discussion of the mistakes that led to their embarrassing, dysfunctional, and exclusionary Caucus Night on March 5th. 

The Utah Republican Party rejected the option to participate in a secure and accessible statewide primary facilitated by the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. This option would have given Utahns the option to vote by mail or in-person. Instead, the Utah GOP opted to run their own presidential caucus, which was dangerously understaffed, disorganized, and left voters with an extremely limited window of time to cast their votes. Less than 10% of registered Republicans cast their ballots. Meanwhile, Utah Democrats voted in a statewide primary that saw higher turnout and no widespread complications. 

“The Utah GOP made voting in their presidential primary as difficult as possible, blocking many Utahns from exercising their constitutional right to vote,” UDP Executive Director Thom DeSirant said. “Now, they’re trying to avoid accountability – and the Republican Supermajority is happy to oblige. These are the tactics of crooked politicians, and they have no place in our state. Utahns deserve a transparent government, and they deserve answers.