Election complaints probed

The American Civil Liberties Union of Utah has launched an investigation into alleged election irregularities that occurred Nov. 6 around Utah.

The organization has received two complaints from Ogden voters who said their right to vote was infringed upon via challenged voter lists and alleged denial of provisional ballots, according to ACLU of Utah Director Karen McCreary.

On Nov. 6 — Election Day — a list challenging the voting rights of about 150 citizens was dispersed to election judges in Ogden. Many of the names on the list are well-known opponents of Mayor Matthew Godfrey, who was re-elected by 449 votes.

The lists were submitted about two weeks prior to the election by two pro-Godfrey constituents.

Godfrey, who defeated Ogden Councilwoman Susan Van Hooser, said Monday that he knew of the lists before the election but had not seen them. His campaign workers had heard rumors that voters who lived outside Ogden would be trying to vote in the Ogden election, so the lists were created to stop them.

"I don't think people who don't live in Ogden should be voting in our elections," He said. "That is not legal."

According to Utah voting law, the lists were legal. However, some citizens whose names were on the lists told the Deseret Morning News they were not immediately offered provisional ballots, as required by law.

Godfrey said some of his supporters were also turned away at the polls and denied provisional ballots.

One woman whose name was on the list spent several hours trying to vote, visiting her polling station three times. The woman was in tears by nightfall, calling the experience the worst day of her life.

In Park City and other parts of Utah, the ACLU is inquiring into alleged violations of Utah's ballot privacy law, McCreary said.

The organization is unsure whether any lawsuits will be filed in relation to the investigations, McCreary said. They are looking for additional information and have asked anyone with information about recent voting problems to call them at 801-521-9862, ext. 101. The organization can also be reached at aclu@acluutah.org.

The civil rights organization is concerned about the 2008 elections, McCreary said. The group wants to help educate county clerks and election judges on the constitutional rights of Utahns.

"People want to make sure the voting process has integrity," she said. "Especially in contested elections, they want to make sure." Godfrey said that although he received many complaints, Weber County was responsible for running the election.

"There were clear frustrations," he said.

Alan McEwan, Weber County clerk auditor, said the elections were completed properly.

"We are all aware that there were some challenges, there were some things that were extraordinary," he said, referring to the challenged voter lists and the high number of provisional ballots used. "We are going to look at the whole process (for the 2008 elections.)"

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E-mail: rpalmer@desnews.com