A recount is currently in progress in the closely contested primary election for Utah's 2nd District U.S. House seat. The Republican challenger, who is trailing by 214 votes, is contesting the results in the state Supreme Court in a bid to recover enough disqualified ballots to potentially overtake the incumbent.
The challenger, Colby Jenkins, was 0.2 percentage points behind U.S. Rep. Celeste Maloy when the counties certified their results last month, prompting the recount. Jenkins has also filed a lawsuit contesting the certification of results over 1,171 disqualified ballots due to late postmarking.
Jenkins is suing the state's chief election officer and clerks in nine counties, alleging that they failed to address ballot processing delays and postmarking issues, resulting in the disqualification of ballots. He is seeking to have all disqualified ballots with invalid or late postmarks counted by the Utah Supreme Court.
The dispute revolves around a batch of southern Utah ballots that were routed through Las Vegas by the U.S. Postal Service, leading to postmarking delays. State law requires ballots to be postmarked no later than the day before the election.
Jenkins, who had expressed concerns about election transparency prior to the race, is hopeful that his legal challenge will lead to a favorable outcome. He emphasized the importance of counting every legal vote and vowed to fight for the rights of all voters in his district.
The recount, which must be completed by next Tuesday, is being closely monitored by volunteers from the Jenkins campaign and members of the public invited by the state's chief election officer. Maloy, the incumbent, has expressed confidence that the recount will not alter the outcome but remains in favor of counting every legal vote.
The 2nd District, which encompasses a mix of liberal and conservative areas, is currently represented by a Republican but has a history of being less red compared to other districts in Utah. The primary winner is expected to have an advantage in the upcoming general election against the Democratic nominee, Nathaniel Woodward.
As the legal battle continues and the recount progresses, both candidates are focused on ensuring that the election process is fair and transparent, reflecting the importance of upholding the democratic principles of the electoral system.
