SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson warned of threats against election systems in Utah with just over a month to go before the 2024 presidential election and weeks after the FBI intercepted an envelope containing a suspicious powder that was headed to her office.

What she once considered to be a fringe group of "election vigilantes, who claim to value the Constitution and rule of law while violating both," Henderson said is now cause for concern "that the volume and intensity of their destructive efforts are seeping into the center."

"If mob rule becomes valued more than the rule of law, we risk losing everything," Henderson said.

"I ask you to doubt the doubters," she added. "Questions and concerns are welcome, but if someone is spreading salacious rumors that shake your confidence in our elections, stop and ask yourself what their motivation could be. Do not participate in undermining public trust in our elections by spreading rumors or unfounded accusations. Doubt the doubters before you doubt the entire election system."

The lieutenant governor didn't mention anyone by name, but her remarks clearly referenced anger stirred up by state Rep. Phil Lyman — who lost to Gov. Spencer Cox and Henderson in the June Republican gubernatorial primary — and his supporters, who have denied the results of that election, despite being rebuffed by the courts in several lawsuits trying to overturn them.

She said for too many people, elections have become "about the outcome" for their preferred candidate rather than the process, which she said is a "really dangerous position to have."

Lyman posted on social media shortly after Henderson's remarks, again questioning the primary election results and saying: "We also reject the entire apparatus that allows corrupt establishment politicians to retain their power and influence year after year, without any transparency." He accused Cox and Henderson of preventing his campaign from verifying the tens of thousands of signatures they collected to qualify for the primary ballot.

"Spencer Cox and Deidre Henderson are corrupt, illegitimate candidates," Lyman said.

Cox asked for a state audit of the signature-gathering process in August, through which state Auditor John Dougall — who is independently elected — found it "statistically likely" that Cox cleared the legal threshold.

"Losing elections — it sucks," Henderson said, in response to a question from a University of Utah student. "But it's part of the American process. You lose with grace. You win with dignity, and maybe you run again."

Voters can visit the state's elections website, vote.utah.gov, for information about polling locations, candidates, and deadlines, and to track their vote-by-mail or provisional ballot.

Threats and misinformation

Political threats have plagued the nation's election offices in recent weeks, including the Sept. 20 letter, signed by the "United States Traitor Elimination Army," which was intercepted in Reno, Nevada, and addressed to Henderson's office.

"The suspicious powder is being tested and the investigation into this threat is ongoing," she said Thursday at the Hinckley Institute of Politics in Salt Lake City. "But one thing is clear: Whether the enclosed substance is toxic or not, this letter was sent with the malicious intent to harm not me or my staff, but you, the voters. 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."

Utah is one of nearly two dozen states that have been targeted. The lieutenant governor and state law enforcement officials said they will "continue to monitor the situation and take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of election workers and maintain an orderly election," according to a statement from the office of the lieutenant governor.

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FBI intercepts letter with suspicious powder addressed to Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office

FBI agents are investigating a suspicious letter filled with white powder that was addressed to Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson's staff office.

Henderson said threats and harassment faced by election officials across the country "are so commonplace that they have become almost unremarkable. This trend should alarm everyone."

"This is different than legitimate criticism, calls for reform, expressions of grievance, or dissent," Henderson said. "Attacks against our political institutions are not meant to reform but to undermine. They are not designed to improve processes or laws but to subvert them — to instill fear and doubt, harass and intimidate, cause confusion, delay and chaos. And they always serve to advance a political agenda, not the public interest."

Speaking to reporters after delivering her address, Henderson said she's concerned that it's "just not politically popular, especially for someone in my political party, to stand up for elections," and said she would like to see more Utah elected officials "step up in defense of our system."

Building trust

Henderson repeatedly defended the reliability of Utah's vote-by-mail system and encouraged skeptics to reach out to their county clerks to get a firsthand look at how ballots are counted and verified.

"You will hear that vote-by-mail is less secure than in-person voting and that counting ballots by hand is more accurate than machine. Both claims are demonstrably false," she said. "After the election, you will hear rumors of supposed voting irregularities, which are often easily explained, but the truth is much more boring than the rumor."

Salt Lake County Clerk Lannie Chapman attended the lieutenant governor's address and told reporters that her office is open to skeptical Utahns who want to understand the process.

"That's the best way to understand what we're doing, why we're doing it, and how we're following the laws to ensure that all eligible, active registered voters have an opportunity to have their voices heard," Chapman said.

She said her office is working with law enforcement to prepare for additional threats or harassment in the weeks leading up to and following the election.

"Before 2020, I couldn't have imagined that that was part of what we're doing here, but we will do whatever it takes to make sure that people feel safe and secure and (are) having their voices heard."

Henderson said she decided to give her address because she has growing concerns about misinformation about elections in the state.

"Even in our state, it's been really hard to combat all of the accusations and the lies and misinformation that is out there," Henderson told reporters, "because truth is boring and outrage is more interesting."

In closing, Henderson asked all Utahns to "step up for the good of our state and country," offering three specific actions voters can take: Doubt those who spread "salacious rumors" about elections, commit to accepting the final results, and take efforts to make sure your vote is counted.

"It is our responsibility as citizens of this state and country to ensure that we are spreading true and accurate information to counter the attacks and harm inflicted by self-interested people who care more about their own agendas than they do about your constitutional rights. This effort will take all of us doing our part," the lieutenant governor said.

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