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Wasatch County Council approves November 2024 canvas, pauses one school-board race under court order
Summary
The Wasatch County Council approved the countywide canvass of the Nov. 5, 2024 general election results on Nov. 19, excluding one school-board race that is subject to a temporary restraining order; officials noted high turnout and a large number of provisional ballots.
The Wasatch County Council voted on Nov. 19 to approve its countywide canvas of the Nov. 5, 2024 general election results, while excluding one school-board race that a court has placed under a temporary restraining order.
Joey, an elections staff member who presented the results to the council, said the county had 21,875 registered voters at the registration deadline and received 19,299 ballots, including UOCAVA mail-in and in-person ballots. Staff processed and tabulated 18,982 ballots (three empty envelopes were noted), and Joey reported the total ballots cast at about 18,079, representing an 86.76% turnout.
Joey described reasons some ballots were not counted: 36 provisionals were not accepted after review and other ballots were rejected because of signature challenges or because primary ballots had been returned in error. He told the council staff had finished processing provisionals that could be verified for the canvass but that one school-board race remains stayed by court order.
Regarding the stayed contest, legal staff reported a temporary restraining order has been entered that “stays canvassing for that race until further court order.” The county will hold a future special meeting to canvass that seat once court proceedings conclude, officials said.
Councilmember Mark (named in the meeting minutes) moved to approve the canvas "as presented," which the chair read as a partial canvas excluding the stayed race; the motion was seconded by Carl (as reflected in the minutes). The chair conducted a roll-call-style approval and recorded the motion as passing unanimously. No changes to the presented totals were made during the canvass.
The council then approved a separate motion to enter a closed session to discuss pending litigation. The chair said the council would adjourn after the closed session and that there would be no further business.
What happens next: the county will post the updated canvass on the county and state websites after the certification action. The one school-board contest will be canvassed later, after the court lifts or modifies the restraining order.
