The race for Utah County Clerk has shifted with Doug Courtney recently announcing his departure from the field, the challenge to the incumbent has narrowed, crystallizing the options for voters this election cycle.
The Clerk’s office has been under intense public scrutiny following a series of administrative missteps over the past few years—covered at https://utelection.info/utah-county-clerk-a-turbulent-term/. When election systems function properly, the office receives little public attention. But when errors occur, the focus inevitably shifts to process, oversight, and leadership.
For voters looking for a change in direction, the spotlight now falls squarely on Corey Astill. Bringing a background rooted in high-level federal policy and small business management, Astill offers a vastly different philosophy on how to restore predictability and public trust to the county’s elections and records.
Corey Astill: Process as the Goal – CoreyAstill.com
Background: Former Chief of Staff (JEC), Small Business Owner
Corey Astill was born and raised in West Valley City before spending significant time in Washington, D.C. During his time there, he worked for four U.S. Senators and two committees, eventually serving as Chief of Staff for the Joint Economic Committee and working with the Business Roundtable. After moving back to Utah during the pandemic, he now owns and operates two behavioral health clinics for autistic children. He is also deeply involved in the Utah County GOP, serving as a District 51 Legislative Chair and delegate, and co-hosting a podcast with State Senator Todd Weiler.
Restoring Competent Management
Astill views the Clerk’s office not as a policy-making body, but as a management-intensive service provider. He believes the office has drifted away from its core purpose: securing the ballot quickly, efficiently, and accurately.
His critiques of the current administration focus on a failure to execute the fundamentals:
- Unnecessary Requirements: The Clerk’s request for the last four digits of a voter’s SSN when there was no place on the ballot for it. Astill argues it isn’t the Clerk’s role to add additional requirements.
- Voter Confusion: Inaccurate instructions regarding postage and stamps that created a disincentive to vote.
- Transparency: He argues that “the process is the goal.” If the process is predictable, transparent, and accessible, public trust follows naturally and neutralizes disinformation. Engaging in broader national debates simply takes the eye off the ball.
Local Control and Modernization
Astill is a firm advocate for local control, arguing that the Utah Legislature should handle broad policy questions while the Clerk focuses strictly on local execution. He believes elections must be run locally to avoid a “single point of failure” at the federal level.
His first priority upon taking office would be restoring “competent management” and updating the office’s technology to be more digitally focused. While he acknowledges the incumbent is a “good person,” he contends that the county has simply “taken its eye off the ball” and needs a leader who treats the election process with professional rigor.
Books Astill said he has recently read or is currently reading:
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.
The Choice for Utah County
With the field narrowed, the Clerk’s race now centers on a clear head-to-head contrast within the Republican party. Voters and delegates must decide whether they want to maintain the current administration’s trajectory or shift to Astill’s process-driven management style. His pitch relies on the idea that high-level legislative and business experience can bring much-needed discipline to an office that oversees the very bedrock of local democracy.
Because both candidates are running as Republicans, this race will not wait until November. The candidates will first compete for the support of delegates at the upcoming Utah County GOP Convention. Depending on those results—and potential signature-gathering efforts—they may then face off in a June primary. Ultimately, Republican voters will be the ones to determine whether a return to administrative “basics” is the best path to restoring the integrity of the Clerk’s office.