
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
-

Sen. John Curtis participates in 2025 Congressional Series
Read More: Sen. John Curtis participates in 2025 Congressional SeriesIn the conversation, Senator Curtis discussed election security, federalism, and AI.
-

Political machines, party bosses, and immigration
Read More: Political machines, party bosses, and immigrationFrom Boss Tweed to today’s debates, the link between immigration and elections has shaped U.S. politics for over a century, often more by perception than reality.
-

Believe in the Constitution, not political power
Read More: Believe in the Constitution, not political powerThe Constitution grants states and Congress, not the president, authority over election laws. An executive order to ban mail-in voting would be constitutionally weak and unlikely to survive judicial review.
-

Utah – and every other state – should protect elections by saying ‘no’ to the Trump DOJ
Read More: Utah – and every other state – should protect elections by saying ‘no’ to the Trump DOJAs the DOJ seeks confidential voter roll data, states face a crucial decision. Legal safeguards and federalism point to one answer: protect election integrity and just say no.
-

Capitalism isn’t the enemy — what young voters really want
Read More: Capitalism isn’t the enemy — what young voters really wantA generation once expected to inherit the American Dream is now openly questioning the very system that underwrote it.
-

Trump’s Executive Orders: bold action, or unconstitutional overreach?
Read More: Trump’s Executive Orders: bold action, or unconstitutional overreach?Executive orders that carry out existing law or direct the work of executive branch agencies are appropriate uses of presidential power. Those that coopt the power of the other branches…









