Utah Rep. John Curtis Says He Will Vote To Certify Election
Jan 5, 2021, 8:48 AM
FILE: Rep. John Curtis (Silas Walker, Deseret News)
(Silas Walker, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Rep. John Curtis on Tuesday announced he will vote to certify the election of President-Elect Joe Biden.
Curtis said he has “faith in America’s election system and those who work tirelessly to ensure our elections are secure.”
His statement comes a day after Rep. Chris Stewart announced he would not vote to certify the election results, joining Rep. Burgess Owens, who also said he would challenge the Electoral College’s votes.
The Electoral Votes will be counted Wednesday, and they are expected to be certified.
Read Curtis’ full statement here:
On January 6, Congress will fulfill its Constitutional mandate to certify the Electoral College results and finalize the presidential election. In recognition of my responsibility in this process, I have studied my role and it is clear to me that I have a duty to speak on behalf of the election process in Utah and listen to any objection raised by my fellow lawmakers concerning their state. I have seen no evidence of wrongdoing within Utah and have no plans to object to Utah’s Electoral College certificates. In fact, as I have watched the election process in Utah, I see within it a model for other states across the country.
Federalism is a core principle of our country and an important piece of that is respecting each state’s election procedures and outcomes. The Constitution grants Congress the specific authority to count electoral votes, not debate the merits of each state’s election laws or the validity of the electors they choose to send—to do so would be to federalize the election process, taking fundamental rights away from states. I have consistently opposed when Democrats have made such attempts and I will not use one standard for my party and a different one for the other. Therefore, I plan to respect each state’s decision, certify the election, and continue to work with my colleagues on solutions for Utahns.”
As I have said many times before: I have faith in America’s election system and those who work tirelessly to ensure our elections are secure. That’s not to say there isn’t work to do. Americans deserve an election process that leaves no question of integrity and I am committed to supporting our state leaders and working with my colleagues to ensure election security, without further federalizing our elections.
