In relation to the Utah House District 72 primary race, which was very close between candidates Willie Billings and Joseph Elison, Elison came out ahead by just a handful of votes both before and after a recount. It’s not just as simple as people think.” There’s also authentications that we do for the signatures to verify they’re correct. There’s a whole process, there’s verifications we do. “I think that most people that have come in and walked through the actual process that we do, they see we don’t just get a ballot and open up and count it. “There’s a lot of information on the internet that makes people nervous and doubt elections,” Lewis said. What are your thoughts on Washington County’s overall election integrity? In this file photo, the ballot dropbox in front of the Washington County Administration Building, St. “It would be very worrisome to me if someone got into office that didn’t have that knowledge to pull it together and make it work,” she said. The governmental accounting background helps deal with the complexity of government funds and spending that go beyond what is practiced in regular business, she said. She has repeatedly run multiple internal audits focused on varying parts of the county as a part of the job and has had those efforts “come up clean” when they are reviewed by a third party, she said.Įducation-wise, Lewis said she has been trained with a governmental accounting background and has a degree in accounting from Southern Utah University. Prior to her appointment, Lewis served the county as its chief deputy clerk/auditor for five years, she said, adding she also had experience serving in Utah’s 5th District Court as a clerk and around 10 years as a municipal-level accountant. I feel like my qualifications in accounting, knowing how the books run, knowing about the debts, knowing about the grants, all of that, is a benefit to Washington County residents because they know that we can keep things flowing and going in the right direction.” “It’s always been warm and welcoming to me. Why are you running for Washington County Clerk/Auditor? In this file photo, Susan Lewis is sworn in as Washington County’s new clerk/auditor, St. “There’s a lot more to this job than just the election,” Lewis said. In this position, she handles the county’s budget, conducts audits, determines the county’s annual property tax levy, runs the county elections and oversees the issuance of marriage licenses and passports, just to name a few of the position’s overall duties. Lewis was appointed to the clerk/auditor’s position by the Washington County Republican Central Committee in 2021 following the retirement of Kim Hafen. The topic of election integrity is one that has recently risen in prominence for some Washington County Republicans who dispute the results of the House District 72’s Republican primary race. George News spoke with the candidates and asked why they’re seeking the position, what qualifies them for the job and what their opinion on election integrity in the county is. Incumbent Susan Lewis and write-in challenger Patricia Kent are vying for the position as one candidate touts her experience and the other seeks to ensure elections in Washington County are secure from fraud. George, Utah, J| Photo by Mori Kessler, St. In this file photo, staff of the Washington County Clerk/Auditor’s Office engage in a routine post-election audit, St. GEORGE - From running county elections to setting local property tax rates and issuing marriage licenses, the Washington County Clerk/Auditor’s Office is a busy place and its chief officer is up for election this year.

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