Primary watch: Utah voter turnout under 20%, candidate accused of breaking rules

SALT LAKE CITY — Ahead of Tuesday's primary election, just under 1 in 5 Utah voters have cast their ballots so far.

Statewide voter turnout, as of 10 a.m. Monday, sat at 19.4%, according to the lieutenant governor's office. That number is expected to rise to perhaps the mid 30s, elections director Ryan Cowley told KSL, as more voters turn in their ballots before the polls close Tuesday evening.

"There's different things that bring voters out," Cowley said. "Sometimes it's the issues, the candidates. Primaries have historically had a lower turnout, so I don't think this is too far off from what we normally see in a primary election."

There are no primary races for governor or U.S. Senate this year, but Utah voters are casting ballots this month in three of four congressional districts, which were recently redrawn following a judge's order.

In one of those races — in the 2nd Congressional District — allegations of improper mailers have cropped up during the final days of campaigning.

Postcard controversy

Some opponents of Rep. Blake Moore's reelection campaign have raised concerns about postcards recently mailed to voters by his congressional office, questioning whether the postcards run afoul of rules prohibiting unsolicited mass mailings in the 60 days leading up to an election.

Moore's office defends the mailers, saying they were sent out in small batches that do not constitute "mass communication" and are not subject to the blackout period.

Rick Renda of Ogden said he was "annoyed" by a postcard he received from Moore's office last week that highlighted the congressman's work on Medicare and encouraged voters to subscribe to his email newsletter.

"If you're doing this to talk to your constituents about issues that are important and keep them informed of issues that have gone on in Congress … that's great, but you shouldn't be doing it as kind of just a, 'Hey, I'm great, vote for me, remember me at primary time,'" Renda told KSL.

In response to a post on X criticizing Moore for the mailers, his chief of staff, Rachel Wagley, defended the mailers.

"Per the Administration Committee's Communications Manual, this is allowed," she wrote. "These communications were sent in batches of 499 or less, putting them below the threshold of a 'mass communication' and therefore exempt from blackout rules."

The Committee on House Administration defines mass communication as "any distribution of 500 or more pieces of substantially identical content (whether such communication is distributed singly or in bulk, or at the same time or different times), regardless of the means of the distribution — over the course of a legislative year."

Moore, who is running for a fourth term, said his office regularly uses funds from the Members' Representational Allowance to inform Utahns about constituent services available through his office, which has been recognized by the Congressional Management Foundation.

"We work closely with the Communications Standards Commission to ensure compliance," the congressman told KSL in a statement. "Characterizations of these efforts aside from this are disingenuous. Every two years, my primary challengers berate me for doing my job, informing constituents of our work, and representing constituents to resolve their issues with federal agencies."

State Rep. Karianne Lisonbee, who is challenging Moore for the Republican nomination for Utah's 2nd Congressional District, said if she's elected, she will run a bill to close what she called a loophole allowing members of Congress to promote themselves.

"This is just another example of the D.C. corruption Utahns have grown tired of," she said in a press release Monday. "Taxpayer money should not, under any circumstance, be used to benefit the reelection campaign of a member of Congress."

What's next?

Two other congressional districts also have primary elections this cycle. In the 1st Congressional District, four Democrats — Nate Blouin, Michael Farrell, Ben McAdams and Liban Mohamed — are battling for votes in a new left-leaning district as part of Utah's new congressional map.

In the 3rd Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Celeste Maloy is facing a GOP challenge from Phil Lyman, a former state lawmaker who unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2024.

All primary ballots need to be turned in by 8 p.m. Tuesday. Cowley, the state elections director, said at this point, voters should not put their ballots in the mail. Instead, they should turn them in at an election drop box or at an official polling location. They can also vote in person.

Voters can check the status of their ballots at vote.utah.gov. Election results will also be posted there.

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