Some Utah Republicans sound off against caucus system after ‘chaotic’ Super Tuesday
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — This year’s Republican presidential nomination process looked a little bit different in Utah. Instead of holding a state-run primary for voters to participate, the Republican party opted to hold public meetings with party voters to determine Utah’s preferred nominee.
What resulted was a chaotic scene and, if social media is any measurement, Utah voters appear to be unmotivated to do it again.
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Several counties throughout the state reported troubles and delays. Caucuses that were scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. had issues with QR codes used to check-in. The online system used to register voters for the caucus also reportedly had gone down throughout the day. Long lines slowed the process with some voters telling ABC4.com they had been unmoving for an hour and a half.
One voter called it an “unmitigated failure.” Another said by the time she got through the long lines, her precinct had already cast its vote.
Utah State Sen. Michael McKell (R-Spanish Fork) took to Twitter/X, asking Republicans what they thought about the caucus system. He asked voters if they thought it was a good idea, if they believed the vote was secure, and whether or not the Utah Republican Party should do it again.
The answer seemed to be a resounding ‘no.’
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Multiple voters replied to McKell’s poll calling the caucus process a “bad idea” that they “would never do again.” Another voter called it a “total debacle” and “utterly pathetic.” Salt Lake County Auditor Chris Harding was one of those who sounded off online calling the event “not the best of ideas.”
“At our caucus [they] ran out of ballots and just told people to write down who their preference was,” Harding wrote. “People were coming and going by the time they actually counted the ballots and gave the results there were like 10 more votes than people in the room. Not secure! I wouldn’t do it again.”
Of course, not all experiences were bad. One voter replied to McKell saying he felt like he had a seat at the table to let his voice be heard.
“It gives us, the people, a seat at the table to talk about candidates and the issues,” the voter said. “It also gives us insight into delegates and how they vote. Which again determines if they will be elected based [off] their positions.”
Many voters felt as though the caucus system was secure enough, though they still voiced a few concerns. One voter said they trusted the people in their caucus but there could be opportunities for fraud. Other voters said they wished they could have simply mailed in a ballot.
In a press release sent by the Utah Republican Party early Wednesday morning confirming the results that former President Donald Trump won Utah, officials called the night “successful.”
“I want to thank all the candidates who participated, our dedicated organizers and volunteers, and especially the caucus-goers, even when dealing with long lines and some hiccups to the check-in process in some locations,” said UTGOP Chairman Robert Axson. “Republicans from all around the state from every background came together for meaningful participation in our democratic system.”
Axson continued by saying the continued engagement from Republicans will be critical this election year.
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