SALT LAKE CITY – Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox is taking steps to keep Utah at the forefront of voting accessibility and convenience, announcing today the formation of the iVote Advisory Committee. The committee will consist of state legislators and county clerks, as well as technology and security specialists, and will explore the possibility of expanding electronic voting to more voters throughout the state.
Utah was one of the first states to introduce electronic voting for certain voters. Since 1998, the state has allowed overseas citizens and military members to vote electronically. Earlier this year, the Legislature made this option available for disabled voters, as well.
Electronic voting creates unique challenges including ensuring that voting is secure, that ballots are kept secret, and that a secure audit system is in place to guarantee the accuracy of vote counts. The iVote Advisory Committee will explore these issues as well as issues regarding privacy, cost and feasibility. The committee hopes to complete a study by the end of the year, and will provide its findings to the Legislature.
The committee members are:
Lt. Governor Spencer Cox
Alex Lawrence (Chair) - Weber State
Senator Curt Bramble
Representative Rebecca Chavez-Houck
Representative Jon Cox
Sara Jones - Women’s Tech Council
Fran Rosch - Symantec
Phil Windley - Kynetx & BYU
Ricky Hatch - Weber County Clerk
Ryan Cowley - Chief Deputy Summit County Clerk
Sherrie Swensen - Salt Lake County Clerk
Sheri Newton - Disability Law Center
Thad Hall - University of Utah
Jesse Harris- EMC^2
