SALT LAKE CITY — Political parties across the spectrum weighed in on the disclosure that the U.S. Department of Justice intended to send election monitors to Utah to observe mid-term voting.
"I have no concerns because we have a very vibrant and history and process of transparent elections in this country," Utah Republican Party Chair Rob Axson told FOX 13 News on Thursday.
DOJ deploying monitors to Utah for midterm elections:
Axson said political parties regularly act as poll watchers as do everyday citizens, so he did not see an issue with the DOJ's plans to deploy election monitors, adding that "there's no better disinfectant than daylight." He noted that poll watchers with their very presence can help avoid some problems before they get bigger, like a voting location closing early.
"The DOJ being here is no different than political organization Y and concerned citizen X that is also there, as long as no one's interfering with the process," he said.
The Utah Democratic Party issued a statement blasting the move by the DOJ as an election intimidation maneuver.
"Donald Trump does not get to spend years attacking our elections and then use the power of the federal government to intimidate the people who participate in them," Utah Democratic Party Chair Brian King said in a statement. "Utahns are not criminals, our elections are not Trump’s to control, and our polling places are not his to weaponize. Every eligible voter has the right to cast a ballot without fear of retaliation or intimidation."
The Forward Party of Utah also was heavily critical of the DOJ. Party Chair Michelle Quist said in a statement to FOX 13 News it applauds Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson's efforts to protect Utah voters (Henderson is a Republican).
"President Trump and the national Republican Party have given Utahns ample reason to question their intentions when it comes to elections. If this is election interference dressed up as oversight, we will oppose it," Quist wrote. "Of it is political retaliation against a Republican official for refusing to fall in line, we will oppose that, too. Neither motive would surprise us. Our democracy is in serious trouble when protecting voters can put an election official at odds with her own party. A two-party system that rewards loyalty over principle invites exactly this kind of pressure."
Utah Libertarian Party Chair Barry Short said in an emailed statement to FOX 13 News they oppose "the very idea of federal election monitors."
"Elections are the responsibility of the state of the state, not the federal government. When it comes to election integrity, the answer is fifty different systems, not one top-down system. If someone wanted to tamper with elections, there is nothing they would want more than having one central adminstration over all elections. It's LOT harder to tamper with 50 systems than it is to tamper with ONE," Short said.