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Legislative audit finds ballot handling and camera gaps in Paiute and Wayne counties; clerks report fixes
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Summary
A legislative performance audit flagged multiple risks in Paiute and Wayne county election operations — including unbatched ballots, unmarked or missing drop boxes and inadequate camera coverage — and county clerks said they implemented recommended improvements.
The legislative auditor general’s office presented a risk‑focused audit of Paiute and Wayne county election processes stemming from the 2024 statewide election audit. Jake Dinsdale said auditors found practices that increased the risk of ballot mishandling: Paiute County handled ballots individually (contrary to statute) and failed to batch or track ballots as required, and one municipality lacked a ballot box in 2024. Both counties had camera systems that did not fully capture ballot handling and had shortcomings in post‑election reconciliation and audit procedures.
Audit staff emphasized they did not find evidence these problems affected election results in 2024 but said the shortcomings could pose undue risk if left uncorrected. Paiute County Clerk Kelly Gleave told the committee her office implemented the recommendations for the November 2024 general and the recent municipal election cycles; Wayne County Clerk Felicia Snow acknowledged the shortfalls, said she takes responsibility and described steps taken to correct processes.
Committee members and auditors said training opportunities and resources from the lieutenant governor’s office and state auditors are available and encouraged clerks to adopt the recommended batching, camera placement and post‑election audit practices to strengthen public confidence.
