
Policy
Elections
Securing the American institutions of self-government – such as free and fair elections – in a republic is a civic responsibility of every American citizen. It is an essential part of ensuring a new birth of freedom for future generations.
If government derives its power from the “consent of the governed,” as the Declaration of Independence states, then that consent must have a mechanism for being regularly expressed and renewed.
This is the role that secure elections play in America’s constitutional order: helping ensure the peaceful transfer of power and the opportunity of citizens to exercise their civic voice.
Sutherland Institute offers sound research and principled analysis on voting methods and election security. We do this to promote trusted and trustworthy voting systems and elevate the way the state of Utah assesses and refines this crucial process. We seek to protect public confidence in Utah’s elections by promoting positive reforms and increasing voters’ understanding of the security and access offered by Utah’s election procedures.
Conversations
-
Why many election officials don't want to be a Republican or a Democrat
-
Election officials should follow the law, not the party line
-
Can election officials ever really be nonpartisan?
-
Election officials should be neutral
-
A public office that doesn't need a party label
-
Your county clerk isn't your legislator
-
Rethinking how we elect county clerks
-
Should county clerks be nonpartisan? | Kevin Johnson & Brian McKenzie
-
How Florida gets election results faster than California
Insights & Takeaways
-

Evidence suggests that Utah should let municipal ranked choice voting continue
Read More: Evidence suggests that Utah should let municipal ranked choice voting continueAllowing the Municipal Alternate Voting Methods Pilot Project to finish – so it can gather additional evidence on the benefits and drawbacks of RCV – is sound policy.
-

2022 election verdict: Vote by mail didn’t advantage either political party
Read More: 2022 election verdict: Vote by mail didn’t advantage either political partyElection outcomes in three states that expanded early voting periods and/or vote by mail (Vermont, Kentucky and Nevada) were comparable to the states’ previous election results.
-

National political leaders are learning what Utah already knows: Vote by mail works
Read More: National political leaders are learning what Utah already knows: Vote by mail worksRepublican Party leaders have begun openly recognizing the value of voting by mail and casting ballots before Election Day. They should look to Utah to see vote-by-mail elections done well.
-

What the midterm election tells us about vote by mail in Utah
Read More: What the midterm election tells us about vote by mail in UtahThere are several reasons for the contrast between Utah’s smooth process and the delays in tabulating the final results in Arizona and Nevada.
-

What’s Going On with Ranked Choice Voting in Utah? A Q&A with Derek Monson
Read More: What’s Going On with Ranked Choice Voting in Utah? A Q&A with Derek MonsonWhat’s going on with Utah and RCV? To learn more, I queried Derek Monson, vice president of policy at Sutherland Institute, a conservative think tank in Salt Lake City, Utah.
-

Stewart: You have to have people believe in elections
Read More: Stewart: You have to have people believe in electionsAt a Sutherland Institute Congressional Series event this week, Rep. Chris Stewart said that if people lose confidence in elections, “you have lost the foundation … for a government and…








