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GOP leaders deflect blame as disabled Utahns say caucus disenfranchised them

Caucusgoers line up during the presidential primary caucuses at Riverton High School in Riverton on Tuesday, March 5, 2024.
Bethany Baker
/
The Salt Lake Tribune
Caucusgoers line up during the presidential primary caucuses at Riverton High School in Riverton on Tuesday, March 5, 2024.

Among the hundreds of critical comments that landed in Utah Republican Party leaders’ inboxes about standing in long lines, a confusing registration process and having just a few hours to cast a ballot for the GOP’s presidential nominee were allegations from voters with disabilities that they were disenfranchised by the structure of the March caucus night.

“I hope they never do this again,” one registered Republican wrote. “My health condition made it impossible to attend and your rules essentially eliminated my vote.”

More than one in four Utahns report having a disability — including limited mobility, sight or hearing, and mental health disabilities like post-traumatic stress disorder or anxiety — according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

Fewer than one in 10 registered Republicans in the state voted in the presidential preference poll on Super Tuesday. For context, the less competitive Democratic presidential primary election in Utah, overseen by the lieutenant governor’s office and administered by county clerks, had a turnout of nearly 30%.

Several months prior, the state party decided to forego a presidential primary administered by Utah and county governments in favor of a party-run poll at local caucus meetings.

Turnout among voters with disabilities was likely limited due to reported “physical barriers to difficulties participating because of the structure and length of the meeting, and failure by meeting organizers to provide requested accommodations,” according to a review by Utah’s Disability Law Center.

The nonprofit law firm is tasked by the governor’s office with advocating for election practices that ensure voting is accessible to people with disabilities and offering education on how to improve access. The effort is part of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and, this year, received over $140,000 from the federal government toward that effort.

The organization’s public affairs attorney, Nate Crippes, told The Salt Lake Tribune that the report was provided to state Republican Party leaders when the Disability Law Center completed it “a few months ago.” Utah Republican Party leaders have not responded to the nonprofit, Crippes added.

Robert Axson, the chair of the Utah Republican Party, said he feels the report is “an incomplete picture and an incomplete story,” and added that voters could have reached out to the party to ask for accommodations.

Read the full story at sltrib.com.

This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.