Governors race faces new challenge with multiple candidates with the same last name

SALT LAKE CITY — There’s a new wrinkle in the governor’s race. There are more than one Lyman and both are running a write-in campaign. 

After losing in the primary election, Phil Lyman has been running as a write-in candidate. Now another Lyman has entered the race.

Related: What’s next now that Utah’s primary election is over with?

Richard Lyman and Carol Lyman are also running for governor and Lt. governor respectively. They are also running unaffiliated and as write-in candidates. 

Having multiple candidates with the same last name in the governor’s race could cause some problems. Voters are worried that the write-in ballots won’t be counted for the intended candidate.

Associate Director of The Hinkley Institute, Morgan Lyon-Cotti says voters will need to make sure to write the first name of the candidate. 

“Utah is a voter intent state. So as long as the election worker can tell who you are voting for that’s who your vote goes to,” said Lyon-Cotti. 

Lyon-Cotti also said most people who choose the write-in option, tend to be very informed voters who are hopefully contentious enough to make their vote clear.

“Usually it is someone who is pretty informed, who knows that name that they want to be writing down.”

Related: Phil Lyman and Brian King ask Utahns not to vote for Cox

Diana Jones contributed to this story.