Backlash erupts in Utah County after 23-year-old conservative influencer becomes deputy clerk

PROVO — The Utah County Clerk's Office is facing backlash for filling the role of chief deputy clerk with a 23-year-old conservative influencer who describes himself as "anti-universal suffrage" and has no elections experience.

Utah County Clerk Aaron Davidson's previous deputy clerk left to take a job as a local city administrator, and because Davidson is running for reelection, "it's hard to recruit somebody into that position not knowing if it would be a six-month position or a four-and-half-year position," the clerk said in a YouTube video he released last week after controversy arose.

Davidson claims he hired Kai Schwemmer on a "short term, two-to-three-month appointment" because he has a strong social media following and wanted him to increase outreach to young and first-time voters. The role, he says, is temporary and for the specific purpose of reaching out to first-time voters.

Schwemmer, a BYU student, was appointed in April to a top role with College Republicans of America, which prompted backlash from some who say the political commentator has a history of making antisemitic remarks.

Voters ages 18 to 21 face a much higher rejection rate on their ballots as the county verifies them with previous signatures and the young voters' signatures don't always match their driver's license signatures, which is the only one on record, Davidson explained. Schwemmer is anticipated to work with the county just for the summer, and Davidson will be replace him with someone "in the elections arena" in the fall if he gets reelected.

"We're looking for ideas on how to reach out to these first-time voters and make sure their ballots are counted, and that's the whole reason we are bringing Kai in," Davidson said. "There is nothing nefarious."

Schwemmer, who started the job on Monday, is hosting a town hall with Davidson Thursday for young voters to discuss how to track your ballot to ensure it gets counted.

"Kai has been so helpful in setting a lot of the stuff up because I just don't have time to do that in the throes of an election," Davidson said. "That is what he was brought on to do. Not be my elections director."

Many members of the community, however, find the appointment concerning, claiming his alleged bias against women and opinions on voting will impact his ability to work fairly.

'Very concerned'

Utah County Commissioner Amelia Powers Gardner said she first learned about Schwemmer being appointed last week.

"I didn't know who he was. I'm not a college Republican, and I don't follow social media closely. ... I was sent screenshots of his social media posts, then I started to get very concerned," she said.

Most troubling to her was when Schwemmer posted on X in November that "Women generally do not have what it takes to endure the pressures of a public office." Powers Gardner was the first woman elected to serve as Utah County clerk and the first female county commissioner.

This primary election, women are running in three of the four races. Powers Gardner said if she were a candidate on the ballot, she would be "highly concerned" having a man like Schwemmer on the elections team.

"As a county clerk, you are a gatekeeper to democracy. You have a legal and a moral obligation to ensure every eligible voter, their constitutional right to vote is protected and upheld," she said. "To have somebody heading up the election who has publicly said that he doesn't agree with women having the franchise to vote is disturbing."

Setting aside the political ideology, Powers Gardner also worries about his lack of experience as she is a former county clerk and knows firsthand what the role entails.

Running election administration is a complex, in-depth job, and Schwemmer is a "stark contrast" to the two previous chief deputy clerks who had law degrees, she said. Since Davidson is on the ballot, he can't be the chief elections officer, leaving it up to Schwemmer and a brand new elections director who has been in the role for less than six months, Powers Gardner said.

Davidson, however, told KSL that Schwemmer will not have any "governing capability" or "administrative role" in the primary election — that will all be left to the elections director.

Because government works so slowly, and he needed someone to help address the first-time voter issues immediately, Davidson chose to appoint Schwemmer to the role that was available so he could get him onboard faster.

Davidson said it's important for people to understand what his role is and that "he has no ability to introduce any of his biases; that's just out of his role."

"I'm sorry about the backlash. I'm sorry about the controversy, but he's done great," Davidson said.

Powers Gardner said there isn't much the County Commission can do as it's an appointed position under an elected official for which qualifications are only to pass a drug test, have no prior criminal convictions and be eligible to work in the country.

"We really can't do anything because the chief deputy serves at the pleasure of the elected official. Elections have consequences, and the current elected official thinks that this person is qualified to be over the election," she said.

Community speaks out

Nine people spoke during public comment at Wednesday's County Commission meeting, all of whom based their remarks on opposing Schwemmer's appointment.

Carren Crossley, of Spanish Fork, said the stated reason for hiring him does not match the "actual job description" which typically requires 10 years of experience and a master's degree.

She listed off some of the controversial things Schwemmer has said, including his support of family voting where the male head of household casts a ballot for the whole family, his endorsement of repealing same-sex marriage protections and him "gladly accepting the title Mormon Nick Fuentes."

"This is who now sits on the leadership team of the office that runs elections and manages marriage license in Utah County," she said. "He's openly derogatory towards half the people in this county and does not believe that they should vote."

Others said the decision reflects poorly on the county and expressed worries that he is not fit for the job based on past "problematic" comments.

If his job is to reach out to first-time voters, "he's certainly not going to be reaching out to the people of color, to women, to people other than college Republicans who are already, I would say, radicalized," Springville resident Lori Plater said.

Allison Asay said Schwemmer is "someone most people don't trust running our elections. Someone who we can't trust running our elections, when our institutions are already not trusted, is a dangerous, dangerous person to put in charge of things."

Brett Neilson, of Lehi, said regardless of how smart a person is, he doesn't think it's a wise decision to put a 23-year-old "in such a high level position of such high influence."

Davidson emphasized having elections experience is a recommendation, not a requirement for the position. And while he "didn't investigate it completely who he was," and acknowledged that there are "somewhat legitimate" concerns about some of Schwemmer's comments, "I won't tolerate his bias or anything in this office. We are completely neutral, and I promise you that."

'Unnecessarily compromised'

Powers Gardner said she enthusiastically signed a letter with more than 40 other female community and municipal leaders, as it is "something I can do."

"A lot of my constituents, not all of them women, but particularly women, don't feel comfortable with him being the one who counts the ballots, and I don't blame them," she said.

Schwemmer's role will not include overseeing the election, Davidson explained, but "is again nothing other than to try and reach out to these first time voters. It breaks my heart to see how many we are rejecting. ... This is a problem we have to solve."

The letter — signed by dozens of former and current elected officials such as Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Orem Mayor Karen McCandless, ​​Salt Lake County Council Aimee Winder Newton​​ and executive business leader Ally Isom — claims the appointment of Schwemmer raises "serious concerns among many women in our community."

"The county clerk has a responsibility to appoint leaders who embody the core principles of election administration: accuracy, security, transparency, professionalism, impartiality and public confidence. Trust is built not only through secure procedures, but through leadership decisions that demonstrate respect for all citizens and a commitment to serving every voter without bias," the letter says.

While citizens are entitled to personal political beliefs, those in leadership positions should have technical expertise, judgment and credibility that inspires public trust, the letter says.

"Until these concerns are adequately addressed, public confidence in the leadership of Utah County's election administration will remain unnecessarily compromised," the letter concludes.

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