A Review of Aaron Davidson’s First Term as Utah County Clerk
Aaron Davidson was elected Utah County Clerk in 2022 on a platform emphasizing election integrity, transparency, and modernization.
Over the course of his first term, the office has been the subject of a formal state reprimand, a post-election review by the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office, legislative action tied to office practices, and multiple public controversies.
This article summarizes documented events and official findings. It is not intended to be a comprehensive account. As Davidson declined an interview request for this article, this was written without his input.
February 2024 — State Reprimand for Modifying a Candidate Filing Form
In January 2024, during the candidate filing period, a candidate for State Senate District 25 filed a declaration of candidacy without listing party affiliation.
After the filing deadline had passed, Clerk Davidson contacted the candidate and manually added the missing party affiliation to the filing form.
The Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office reviewed the matter and issued a formal reprimand.
In a January 25 letter, the state’s elections director cited Utah Code 20A-9-201(10), which prohibits modification of a declaration of candidacy after the filing period has closed. The letter directed the Clerk’s office to follow statutory requirements and ensure proper staff training.
Source:
Daily Herald, Feb. 13, 2024
https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/2024/feb/13/utah-county-clerk-reprimanded-by-state-for-modifying-candidates-filing-form/
June 25, 2024 Primary — Reconciliation Failures and Fast Cast Review
Following the 2024 primary election, the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office conducted a formal review of Utah County’s election administration.
The review focused heavily on Utah County’s “Fast Cast” voting model.
Key findings included:
- At least 19 more ballots were cast than voters who checked in at polling locations.
- Statutory reconciliation procedures were not consistently followed.
- A tabulator safeguard designed to prevent duplicate ballot scanning had been disabled within the Fast Cast workflow.
- Training deficiencies were cited in the report.
The state recommended discontinuing or significantly modifying the Fast Cast model unless compliance concerns could be resolved.
The report did not conclude widespread fraud. It did conclude that statutory processes were not properly followed.
Primary Source:
Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office, “Utah County 2024 Primary Election Review”
https://vote.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Final-Utah-County-Report.pdf
Secondary Coverage:
Utah News Dispatch
https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2024/09/17/state-election-review-high-signature-rejection-rates-utah-county/
June 2024 Primary — Abnormally High Signature Rejection Rate
The same state review identified an unusually high mail-in ballot signature rejection rate in Utah County.
According to reporting summarizing the state findings:
- Utah County’s signature rejection rate in the 2024 primary was more than five times higher than the county’s own rejection rate in the 2023 primary.
- The rate was also higher than the statewide average.
- In a state audit sample of ballots rejected by an election worker with a particularly high rejection rate, approximately 25% of the sampled rejected signatures should have been accepted, according to the state’s evaluation.
The state review attributed the elevated rejection rate to training and procedural inconsistencies rather than fraud.
Because Utah elections are conducted primarily by mail, signature verification is a central safeguard. A rejection rate five times higher than the prior primary represents a measurable operational deviation.
Utah News Dispatch
https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2024/09/17/state-election-review-high-signature-rejection-rates-utah-county/
Fall 2024 — Ballot Tracking Controversy
In October 2024, reporting revealed that the Clerk’s office accessed and compiled information regarding how certain elected officials cast their ballots.
The reporting prompted public criticism and confirmation from the Utah County Attorney that an investigation was underway regarding information provided about ballot tracking.
In response to concerns raised during this episode, the Utah Legislature later advanced legislation restricting government employees from attempting to determine or disclose identifiable ballot information beyond what is authorized by law.
2025 Municipal Election — Ballot Instruction Confusion
During a municipal election cycle, Utah County mailed ballot instructions requesting the last four digits of a driver’s license, state ID, or Social Security number.
Reporting noted that:
- The digits were not required at that time.
- Some ballot materials did not provide a designated space for the information.
- The instruction created confusion among some voters.
Utah County later clarified that only a valid signature was required.
Utah County clarification
https://www.utahcounty.gov/news/449/vote-today-what-you-need-to-know-about-casting-your-ballot
February 2026 — Prop 4 Repeal Petition Signature Allegations
In early 2026, Clerk Davidson reported that certain petition packets related to the Proposition 4 repeal effort appeared to contain potentially fraudulent signatures and referred those packets to the Utah County Attorney.
Media coverage confirmed that a criminal investigation was initiated following that referral. Reporting indicated that more than 90% of signatures in the flagged packets were rejected during verification.
It is important to distinguish this matter from the prior items in this article. The Prop 4 episode involves allegations of potential fraud by petition circulators or signers, not findings of wrongdoing by the Clerk’s office. The investigation remains ongoing, and no final determination has been reported at the time of publication.
Salt Lake Tribune
https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2026/02/07/prop-4-utah-county-clerk-alleges/
Closing
The events outlined above include:
- A formal state reprimand
- A state post-election review identifying reconciliation failures
- A signature rejection rate five times higher than the prior primary
- A ballot tracking controversy that prompted legislative response
- Voter instruction confusion
- A high-profile petition fraud referral currently under investigation
Each of these items is documented in official letters, state reports, legislative action, or published reporting.
Voters can review the sources directly and draw their own conclusions regarding performance, compliance, and management during the Clerk’s first term. But keep in mind, Aaron ran on election integrity.