Lt. Governor's News

Four years ago, I was sworn in as Utah’s ninth lieutenant governor with little understanding of this role. Today, I have a better idea of what it means to be the state’s number two. To paraphrase Shakespeare, “A [lieutenant governor] shines as brightly as a [governor], until the [governor is near]. So doth the greater glory dim the less.”

Several years ago, a mother brought her young daughter to visit the Utah State Capitol building and showed her a framed portrait of all the state senators hanging on the wall outside the senate chamber. After studying the pictures for a few moments, the exasperated daughter said, “No fair! Where are the girls?”

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson warns that long lines at polling locations could delay election reporting of results on election night. In the interest of ensuring that Utahns have an opportunity to vote without the influence of initial results, early results will be held until the last voter in line has cast their ballot.

Two weeks ago, the FBI intercepted an envelope containing white powder that was mailed to my office from the so-called “United States Traitor Elimination Army.” This individual or organization mailed similar packages to chief election officers in most states. The suspicious powder is being tested and the investigation into this threat is ongoing. But one thing is clear: whether the enclosed substance is toxic or not, this letter was sent with the malicious intent to harm not me or my staff, but you, the voters.

Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson today released a report detailing a software issue that impacted the recount process in two counties during the Second Congressional District recount. The error occurred within Election Systems & Software’s (ES&S) ElectionWare software, used for electronic adjudication of ballots.

Yesterday, the Tooele county clerk discovered an issue during their recount process affecting the way 55 adjudicated ballots were tallied. At this time, Washington County is the only other county in the Second Congressional District that is known to have experienced this issue. They are currently reviewing their adjudicated ballots.