SALT LAKE CITY — Half a year after the caucus chaos of Super Tuesday, curious Utahns of all parties packed into the Government Operations Interim Committee for answers.
"I do believe there are people who have been trying to be heard since the Presidential Primary Election that have no had an opportunity to be heard," said Sen. Daniel Thatcher.
Parties, auditors, and Mar. 5 assessors were supposed to present before lawmakers but were instead told some of the findings were "very one-sided."
"Using this committee to air personal grievances is inappropriate and a waste of time," said Rep. Stephanie Gricius.
The studies have since been removed from the state website.
Daryl Acumen with Draper Data Services' analysis is 41 slides long. He claims 72% of surveyed Utah Republican voters thought the Presidential Preference Poll was a "terrible idea."
"All along the way we've had a lot of really good things happen, and you have places of where you learn lessons on how to improve moving forward," said Robert Axson, chairman of the Utah Republican Party.
Axson was pleased when the committee voted to not discuss the issue.
Republican state Sen. Thatcher was the only who voted in favor of hearing the planned presentations.
"The caucus system, it's the basic root and foundation of our country and I'm just so glad it got supported," said GOP voter Jerry Heck.
Representatives with the Disability Law Center were frustrated by the decision.
Nate Crippes was supposed to share the DLC's discoveries after volunteers assessed multiple Republican and Democratic voting locations that night.
The DLC found "systemic issues within caucus voting infrastructure" as well as voters with disabilities "denied equal access to information" and "unable to fully participate in selecting party leaders and/or cast their presidential preference vote."
"We are a non-profit, we're non-partisan. Our issues are just to say we want to ensure voters with disabilities have equal access whichever way we decide to vote," said Crippes.
Oscar Mata, vice-chair of the Utah Democratic Party, wrote, "The decision by Republican Politicians to protect themselves from facing accountability for disenfranchising their own party members is unacceptable, and frankly, reeks of corruption.”
