Utah Democrats make biggest gains in registrations as state looks to reverse dismal voting record

SALT LAKE CITY — Mitt Romney, hot-button citizens initiatives and leftover emotions from the 2016 presidential race are setting up to help haul Utah out of the voter participation basement in the upcoming midterm, according to observers.

And Utah Democrats are adding new voters at a rate outpacing their GOP counterparts by almost 3-1, when measured as a percentage of growth.

Morgan Lyon Cotti, Hinckley Institute of Politics associate director, said current ballot items and lingering emotions that track back to the 2016 election are combining to incentivize Utah voters.

"Not only do we have a very full ballot with competitive races and propositions, there is also a greater civic engagement and excitement about politics happening in Utah," Cotti said. "The 2016 election took a lot of people by surprise and this cycle ... people who opposed President Trump in 2016 are deciding they need to be more engaged and people excited by Trump are anxious to continue to support him."

Read more: https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900038470/utah-democrats-make-biggest-gains-in-registrations-as-state-looks-to-reverse-dismal-voting-record.html