Doubt the doubters: Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson hits out against misinformation and election denying before the vote

SALT LAKE CITY — Just two weeks ago, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson received a package containing a suspicious powder from a group called the “United States Traitor Elimination Army.”

She was matter-of-fact when she gave her speech at the Hinkley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah. The audience consisted of at least 100 students, reporters, and election officials.

“The suspicious powder is being tested and the investigation of the threat is on-going,” the Lt. Governor said.

“Attacks on our elections and the people who run them are attacks on the political institutions that exist to protect our liberty and free government,” she said. “This letter was sent with the malicious intent to harm not me or my staff, but you, the voters.”

The worst-case scenario is this letter is a foiled assassination attempt on several election officials across the country. A troubling, yet all too familiar headline this year in political news.

County clerks are preparing for chaos

Salt Lake County Clerk Lannie Chapman told KSL there has been a significant increase in interest around elections since 2020.

“That includes people that just want to understand the process better to those that want to disagree with election results and don’t believe in the system,” she said.

“I invite everyone… to come check out our system. Come take a tour. Come talk to us. That’s the best way to understand what we’re doing.”

However, Chapman pointed to something she describes as unprecedented in the election cycle until recently. Utah’s county clerks now need crisis plans to protect staff and voters in case of public backlash based on the election result.

“I’m working with law enforcement officers [and] we have different crisis management teams working together throughout the county to make sure we have a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C in place,” she explained.

Related: University of Utah offering classes to help voters navigate the upcoming election

The Lt. Governor said that for a while she saw what was once a “fringe” claim “snowball over the past few years.” Chapman seconds her point.

“Before 2020… I couldn’t have imagined that that was part of what we’re doing here,” she said.

Threats against county clerk offices across the nation have led to some states struggling to find volunteers for election days. Fortunately, Chapman says Utah hasn’t seen this issue at all.

“In Utah, we step up… Since 2020, I have seen an increase in the amount of people that want to volunteer as poll workers, early voting, and then even helping us administer elections downstairs where we’re processing ballots.”

“Defend our system”

As the nation heats up towards a federal election, threats and disdain towards political figures have strayed from online echo chambers to physical action. On two occasions this year, an attempt was made on Former President Donald Trump’s life, and last year a man was killed by the FBI in Provo after making violent threats against President Joe Biden.

Related: Latino voters are coveted by both major parties. They also are a target for election misinformation

The Lt. Governor’s speech addressed Utah’s rich history in voting. Then she turned to the prevalence of “misinformation” surrounding the election process.

“In the coming weeks, you will hear that the vote has somehow been rigged and judges are playing favorites,” she said. “Please remember that “heads I win, tails you cheated” is not a foundational principle of a free government.”

A lot of the Lt. Governor’s points about spreading misinformation about elections are reflected among the Trump-branded Republicans. Earlier this year Rep. Phil Lyman made accusations of election fraud against the Lt. Governor and Gov. Cox. He claimed that she hid evidence for the Gov. Cox. He was unsuccessful in his arguments and is now running a write-in campaign for Governor.  

Though, when asked if any of her speech was directed at Lyman, the Lt. Governor responded firmly with “I was referring to anyone who makes those [election fraud] claims.”

Instead, her target were the lawmakers and elected officials who remained quiet when whispers turned to cries of election fraud.

“I would love to see more elected officials step up in defense of our system because it’s not politically popular to do so in our state,” she said. “It’s politically popular to say all of the buzzwords or say nothing. And I need them to start saying things to instill confidence, not to sow doubt.”

Whether election fraud is real or not, there will be plans in place in case of chaos at the polling booths come November. Because as events throughout the 2024 election year have demonstrated, they need them.