Opinion
OPINION: Lehi man alleges 2023 municipal election missteps
Lehi is in another election season, and voters deserve clarity about a troubling episode from the 2023 city council race. Several serious questions about transparency, accountability and the integrity of our local elections have gone unanswered for nearly two years. What unfolded in September 2023 was not just a procedural error, but a case study in how misinformation and political motives can undermine democratic principles.
During the 2023 city council primary, candidate Corey Astill announced his intent to withdraw from the race to pursue a vacant Utah Senate seat. Under Utah’s election code, this should have been straightforward: When a candidate withdraws before the canvass is certified, instant runoff voting law allows ballots listing the withdrawn candidate to roll over to the voter’s next choice. The top six remaining candidates should then advance to the general election. Simple, right?
Not in Lehi. On Sept. 12, a day before Astill’s formal withdrawal and well before the ballot counting was finalized on the 19th, city officials declared the race effectively over. They told candidates and the public that no new candidate could replace Astill on the general election ballot. They claimed this decision was based on “guidance” from the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. That claim was false.
On Sept. 14, Ryan Cowley, the state’s Director of Elections, clarified the law in an email. He confirmed that Astill’s withdrawal on Sept. 13 triggered a legal requirement to continue the vote-counting process until six active candidates remained. This meant another candidate should advance to the general election. More strikingly, Cowley revealed that the Lieutenant Governor’s Office had issued no prior guidance to Lehi City. In fact, the state was still researching the issue when the city claimed to already have answers.
So why did Lehi City act as though the race was over? Why did officials cite guidance they hadn’t received? And why did they resist allowing another candidate to take Astill’s place?
Text messages between Lehi’s mayor, Mark Johnson, and City Councilmember Paul Hancock offer a possible explanation. In these exchanges, the mayor admitted to encouraging Astill to stay in the race, even as Astill prepared to withdraw. The reason? To prevent a specific candidate from advancing in the runoff. “He told me he would stay in as I suggested,” the mayor wrote about his call with Astill on the 12th. “I told him it was doubtful the council would support doing that (replacing Astill) because it is not supported by state law.”
This suggests a deliberate effort to manipulate the election’s outcome, not in the public’s interest, but to block a particular candidate and elevate establishment candidates the mayor supported.
The implications are serious. A sitting mayor appears to have urged a candidate to remain in the race to skew the results, while city officials relied on faulty or fabricated legal claims that nearly invalidated a thousand legally cast votes for Astill or their next preferred candidate.
To his credit, Astill ultimately withdrew, and the Lieutenant Governor’s Office clarified the proper procedure. But the damage was done. For several days, Lehi residents were misled, candidates were denied a fair playing field, and trust in the process was eroded. Without the Lieutenant Governor’s office stepping in to support Utah Election Law, Lehi City would have disenfranchised more than a thousand residents from their legally cast vote. This is troubling leadership from our elected officials and city staff.
Lehi is one of Utah’s fastest growing cities, and with growth comes greater responsibility. Our leaders must understand and follow the law, not bend it to protect establishment allies or sideline rivals. We need transparency in our elections, not backroom deals or selective interpretations of rules. City Hall should serve the people, not itself.
As we approach the next municipal election, voters must ask tough questions. Who can we trust to uphold democratic norms? Who prioritizes the community over personal influence? And who will stand up when rules are bent or broken? The 2023 election misstep should serve as a wake-up call. We must demand better from our leaders to ensure our elections reflect the will of the people, not the whims of the powerful. Let’s learn from our mistakes so they never happen again.
Kenneth Glade
Lehi, Utah
