Making Every Vote Count in Salt Lake County
Making Every Vote Count in Salt Lake County
The current Salt Lake County Clerk has been in office for 32 years.
Since the median age in Salt Lake County is 33 years, roughly half of the County's population has had the same County Clerk their entire lives! Since before the widespread use of the internet.
We need fresh eyes and an unbiased re-evaluation of our antiquated County Clerk’s office. The Clerk's deputy is my opponent, and she is not up to that job.
My background as a Compliance Attorney in the private sector, as a Veteran, and my experience evaluating and optimizing complex systems, make me ideally suited to take our County Clerk's office to the next level of transparency and accuracy.
My commitment as your County Clerk is to run the best and most transparent Clerk’s office in Utah.
Here are just a few of my proposals:
I ask for your vote. Thank you.
GOUD explains his background, and what his group discovered investigating the 2020 Elections in Salt Lake County. GOUD also discusses older social media posts and his journey as he learned more about elections.
Interview starts at 3 Hours 36 minutes 31 seconds (3:36:31).
Interview with GOUD on October 28, 2022
GOUD explains in detail why he decided to run for office and many concerning issues he found with the Salt Lake County Clerk's office. GOUD also discusses the misleading and inaccurate info sent by Ballottrax to voters telling them their vote has been "counted".
GOUD explains how his opponent violated the law by placing her name on the primary ballot instruction sheets mailed to over 338,000 voters in June. Lannie isn't even Clerk but already broke the law, getting an unfair advantage of $230,000 value. As your Clerk, GOUD won't violate your trust; he will remove the Clerk's name from all ballot materials.
GOUD's speech at the East Side Candidate Forum October 3rd, where he explains his journey investigating the 2020 Election and his motivation to run for County Clerk.
GOUD's thoughts on the 2020 election and the way forward. In GOUD's opinion, the 2020 election was not stolen. Trump lost and Biden won. GOUD has reviewed how the Salt Lake County Clerk's Office ran the 2020 election. The review did not show fraud, but it did find concerning shortcomings.
Interview on abc4 television where Goud discusses election integrity, increased transparency, and how the Clerk's office violated the law in the June 2022 primary.
Is GOUD a moniker or his first name? GOUD explains why his first name is used in campaign materials, after some people made false claims.
GOUD supports vote-by-mail. GOUD clarifies his position after an elected official tweeted a false statement about his position and his opponent and others shared it. The Utah state legislature, not county clerks, determines the methods of voting. Under state law, mail-in ballots are always required and can be submitted via US postal service, drop boxes, or in person.
GOUD responds to false accusations from his opponent that he supports conspiracy theories. Some of the persons swayed to heckle at his events can be almost comical! After having thoroughly reviewed the SL County 2020 Election, GOUD found questionable practices, but no conspiracies.
Some households in Salt Lake County received a new 11-inch by 8.5-inch flyer in the mail warning to "KEEP GOUD MARAGANI OUT OF OFFICE".
Just like the previous flyer (see below) this one was full of inaccuracies and was intended to scare voters. It was also sent by the same "dark money" PAC based in Washington DC associated with George Soros and the extreme left.
This time, the GOUD CROWD decided to have a little fun by repurposing the flyer to expose the current Clerk's office (see image attached). Texts were added showing the very concerning inconsistencies and data gaps, issues with the voter rolls, waste and antiquated processes.
Some households in Salt Lake County received a mysterious 8.5-inch by 11-inch flyer in the mail attacking GOUD as an "extremist". The flyer is full of salacious inaccuracies and it was obviously intended to strike fear in the hearts of voters.
Some quick research indicates it was sent by a "dark money" PAC based in Washington DC associated with the extreme left.
The GOUD CROWD decided to have a little fun and fix this deceptive flyer. It now reflects what we believe to be accurate words about GOUD as a candidate for Salt Lake County Clerk. Please see our "corrected" flyer attached.
It is interesting to note that the flyer refers to numerous negative and inaccurate statements found in articles published by the Salt Lake Tribune regarding GOUD.
We have to ask: Why is a dark money group from DC, funded by the extreme left, interfering in the Salt Lake County Clerk's race?
Wednesday October 26, 6:38pm, on iHeart Talk Radio 105.9 KNRS.
GOUD joins former Speaker of the House Greg Hughes and Rod Arquette for a special interview. They discuss the hot race for Salt Lake County Clerk, and also the Flyer sent by a dark-money PAC from Washington DC to falsely accuse GOUD of being an extremist.
Click HERE to listen to this discussion.
KSL News at Night Radio, October 24, 2022.
GOUD responds to questions why he is running to be Salt Lake County Clerk, and also addresses incorrect accusations from his opponent. GOUD further explains the inconsistencies and data gaps his team discovered regarding the Clerk's Office activities in the 2020 Election.
Click HERE to listen to this interview.
KSL News Radio, October 19, 2022.
Find out why GOUD is running to be Salt Lake County Clerk, and hear him answer questions about his background, qualifications, and issues. GOUD points out inconsistencies and concerns regarding the current Clerk's Office.
Click HERE to listen to this 10 minute interview.
Here are excerpts from my original Op-Ed submitted to the SL Tribune, October 13, 2022. The Tribune published an edited version here on October 21, 2022.
Excerpt follows:
Unlike career Politicians who desperately scrub and hide unpopular past comments and opinions, I made the conscious decision to leave past posts intact. I refuse to “tweet and delete.” I own my past opinions in the context I made them, but they are just that - “in the past.” As we learn additional information, I and others change our opinions over time. I changed my mind based on the evidence.
1. 2020 Election: At one time, I thought the 2020 election was stolen. After much review and the failure of Trump and his allies to produce concrete evidence of a stolen election, I concluded that the election was not stolen. Trump lost and Biden won.
I became interested and led a team to review Salt Lake's 2020 election. We found no fraud but were surprised to discover glaring inconsistencies and data gaps within the Clerk’s office. The Clerk’s data shows at least 14,000 ballots that cannot be matched with voter records. Between 9,000 - 26,000 ballots were adjudicated but not tracked. There were no chain of custody records for ballots retrieved from Drop Boxes. This motivated me to run for County Clerk.
More recently, I was stunned that my opponent’s name was included on the primary ballot instructions in violation of the law, representing an unfair value of $230,000 to her campaign. We brought a complaint to the Lieutenant Governor, and my opponent’s name was removed from the general election ballot instructions.
View the full Op-Ed: Unlike some Politicians, I do not "Tweet and Delete".
Monday November 7th 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Honk and Wave
11400 South State (northeast corner), Draper, UT 84020
Monday November 7th 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Honk and Wave
4500 South State (northeast corner), Murray, UT 84107
Monday November 7th 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Honk and Wave
2100 South 1300 East (southwest corner), SLC, UT 84106
It is good to see that so many voters are concerned about democracy in Salt Lake County.
Excerpt follows:
One of the most enjoyable aspects of being on the campaign trail in Salt Lake County is meeting the many diverse groups and individuals who have their own unique stories and experiences . . .
I will share with you a few of the important questions I am often asked by Salt Lake County voters.
1. Vote-by-Mail. Some county voters ask if, as your county clerk, I would support mail-in ballots. Not only do I answer YES, but I relay to them that the Utah Legislature, not county clerks, determines Utah’s methods of voting. Depending on the election, over 90% of Salt Lake County’s citizens use mail-in ballots. Per our Legislature, voting by mail is always required . . . . .
2. Election Fraud. At times, I am asked if I believe fraud occurred in the 2020 election. I tell them that I have not investigated and cannot speak to how elections were run outside of Salt Lake County. I have, however, worked with a team to investigate how elections are run in Salt Lake County. We did not find that fraud occurred in Salt Lake County . . .
3. Protecting Democracy. It is refreshing to see that voters recognize the role of county clerks in protecting our Democracy.
Voters can rest assured that as your county clerk, I will do everything in my power to protect our democracy. As a person of color and son of immigrants, free and secure elections are personally important to me . . .
View the full Op-Ed: GOUD Maragani Voters have important questions for a county clerk candidate
As a first-generation American and ethnic person of color, GOUD cares deeply about the election process and making sure every vote counts.
GOUD is concerned about an increasing lack of trust in the election system in recent years, on both sides of the aisle.
GOUD believes it is good to question the election process and has detailed proposals how we can improve both transparency and accuracy:
- Scheduled Poll Watching to strengthen citizen access to the election process.
- Secure Drop Box Ballots to make sure every vote counts.
- Open Records Access to improve transparency of elections.
- Real-time Verification of Voting Machines to monitor and assure accuracy.
- Public information about the Safest Methods of Voting to assure citizens.
- Ensure accurate and Clean Voter Rolls.
- Conduct regular Election Audits to verify the process and results.
GOUD is a proud American who has served to defend our democracy in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq.
GOUD's campaign was taken aback when his opponent for Salt Lake County Clerk started claiming that GOUD "doesn't believe in protecting our democracy."
Please take a minute to read a letter about that from an Officer with whom GOUD served who wants to set the record straight. You be the judge of whether he believes in protecting our democracy!
August 2022
My Salt Lake County friends,
Earlier this summer, I had the opportunity to visit the great state of Utah for required military training. The highlight of my trip was spending time with a number of Officers I have served with on previous combat zone deployments. One such Officer was Goud Maragani.
Goud has chosen to further serve his community and run for Salt Lake County Clerk! I am very excited and honored that he is still serving our nation in such an important capacity.
Goud was my "Chief of Fiscal Law" as a United States Army Judge Advocate General (JAG) Officer during our deployment to Iraq/Syria/Kuwait serving from 2018-2019 with the Special Operations Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve.
. . .
Recently, while at home in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, I decided to look up Goud's progress. As I scrolled through Goud’s campaign website, I read a number of his proposals to address election skepticism and further improve election systems in Salt Lake County. As usual, Goud’s ideas were thoughtful and well articulated, as I have come to expect of him.
I thought it would be prudent to take a few minutes to learn more about his opponent, Ms. Lannie Chapman. I was shocked and dismayed at her outrageous claims that by defeating Goud, she will "protect democracy".
. . .
Goud is a first-generation American, an ethnic person of color, and I have witnessed firsthand his love for our Country, his fellow Soldiers, and humanity.
For Goud’s opponent to discount or mock his service to our Country by claiming that he “doesn’t believe in protecting our democracy" offends me and should offend every veteran and citizen in Salt Lake County.
I implore Ms. Chapman to apologize for her disrespect to Goud’s service and all who have served our great Country.
David Green
Dallas/Fort Worth Texas
On Saturday, May 7th GOUD presented the findings and recommendations of the Salt Lake County Election Integrity Committee to nearly 100 attendees.
GOUD's presentation covered poll watching, GRAMA requests, security and chain of custody for ballot drop boxes, non-public voter records, ballot adjudication, and more. Following the presentation, there was a lively and productive question and answer session.
View the Report: SL County Election Integrity Report
Watch the full Video: Press Conference Video
Throughout his professional career, GOUD Maragani has developed and honed a broad set of skills working for:
Large public and private organizations have relied on GOUD's unique skill set in order to understand complex systems, explain them to employees, make improvements, develop transparency and audit results.
GOUD currently works for a Utah company doing business in 180 countries around the world. GOUD was hired because of his broad education, field experience, strong work ethic, and professional work history.
GOUD has been instrumental to companies and organizations due to his ability to design, implement, and track their compliance efforts based on strict adherence to their policies and the law. He has helped them develop efficient, cutting edge, and transparent ways to ensure accountability.
GOUD was born in Wisconsin and grew up near Chicago. He is a first-generation American whose father came to America for education opportunities in 1973, then returned to India to marry his sweetheart. His mother legally immigrated to the U.S. in 1975 to join his father.
GOUD earned a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Illinois at Chicago and graduated with a law degree from Georgetown University.
GOUD cares deeply for America, its freedoms, and its opportunities. GOUD understands that these freedoms and opportunities must be upheld by citizens willing to serve.
GOUD has served our country in a number of roles:
Use of GOUD's military rank and photographs in uniform doesn't imply endorsement by the Army or DoD.
Poll watching is a proven way for citizens and campaign volunteers of all political persuasions to ensure that election laws are being followed. Poll watching is an essential tool to help spot irregularities.
As your County Clerk, GOUD will welcome citizens' involvement in Salt Lake County poll watching. GOUD will post a detailed "Poll Watch" schedule well before the counting begins so that poll watchers and campaigns can conveniently plan in advance. Read about it here.
In the 2020 General Election, 57% of voters used “drop boxes” to return their ballots to the Salt Lake County Clerk’s Office. Naturally, drop boxes increase the number of steps required to return your ballot safely to the Clerk’s office.
In order to secure the drop-box ballots, it is crucial to establish a proper chain of custody. GOUD proposes several measures for this. Among them are electronic time stamps and a log of pickup and delivery. Read more here.
The Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) allows citizens to request records to ensure public interest and the laws are being respected.
But certain County Clerks approached the State Legislature asking to make it harder and more expensive for citizens to request information. The result is HB96.
GOUD will exercise discretion and work with citizens to help provide free or low cost GRAMA requests. Read more here.
GOUD has been approached by both Democrat and Republican IT professionals raising concerns:
GOUD proposes verification methods that anyone can participate in, for example hand counting to compare with the machine tabulator. GOUD will regularly conduct audits like that to assure voters that the machines work properly. Read more here.
Op-Ed SL Trib: Candidate for Salt Lake County Clerk promises transparency and accuracy in elections.
Excerpt follows:
Democrat Stacey Abrams refused to concede her 2018 defeat as her office stated: “the system failed voters.” In a 2020 interview, Hillary Clinton continued “with her conviction that the 2016 presidential election was not conducted legitimately.” And former President Donald Trump continues to allege a “stolen election.” These are candidates who lost elections, complaining about the results, and in some cases, the process . . .
Because more than 90% of Salt Lake County’s voters use mail-in ballots, the county clerk’s office must take additional steps to protect the methods and systems . . .
Here are a few of my proposals:
1. Drop Boxes - Currently, voters physically deliver nearly 60% of their . . .
Read more here.
In the private sector, it is standard practice for companies to conduct multiple audits throughout the year to help businesses understand what is and is not working well.
GOUD believes audits involving public systems, elected officials, and voter integrity should be standard practice, especially since these items are funded by you, the taxpayer.
Unfortunately, it appears that thorough and regularly scheduled audits have not been conducted at the County Clerk's office, and certain elected officials have pushed back, even taken personally, the simple request to implement such a practice.
The State Legislature determines what methods of voting are legal in Utah. The County Clerk's job is to inform voters of the pros and cons of each type of voting.
By law, there are currently four ways that you can submit a ballot to the Clerk’s office:
Find out about the pros and cons of each method of voting here.
There are three different categories of voter records: public, private, and withheld. As your County Clerk, GOUD will use a predetermined, transparent process as needed to verify the accuracy of voter rolls.
This will be followed by a progress report every other year that will tell voters how the Clerk’s office verified those records.
The progress report will be available for citizen review and comment.
Read more here.
Regardless of political affiliation, voters and candidates have been questioning voting integrity for many years. Voters want to understand the process and procedures that ensure their legal vote is received and counted.
When voting became as simple as filling out a ballot in one’s living room, it brought with it more room for error. Although mail-in ballots seem to increase voter convenience and participation, additional steps for security and ballot integrity must be implemented.
As your Salt Lake County Clerk, GOUD will take measures to shore up the public trust, improve voter knowledge of the process, and make the voting process clear and transparent from start to finish.
In the business world, the average tenure is 5 years for an executive, and 7 years for a CEO.
So far, the tenure of the current Salt Lake County Clerk is 31 years. Our current Clerk assumed office in 1989, the same year the World Wide Web was launched to the public on the first web page.
It is time for a new Clerk who can bring in a fresh set of eyes and a better understanding of technology. It is also important to implement practices that increase transparency and bolster voter confidence in our election process, as well as other areas that the Clerk manages.
Here are ways that you can help our campaign:
- Put a sign in your yard: If you do not already have a sign, please reach out to us so we can bring you one. We have two sizes of yard signs, normal signs and large signs if you have a bigger space. Let us know what size you want and we will bring it by.
- Volunteer: This is a big county with a lot of events (parades, car shows, gun shows, farmers markets, etc.). We need volunteers to help us have a presence at those events. Please sign up to be a volunteer. We will reach out to you when we have volunteer opportunities.
- Host a cottage meeting: GOUD wants to meet with you and share his vision and ideas for a better way forward with how our Clerk’s office is run. Please reach out to us to host a cottage meeting or if you would like to participate in other events.
- Other Activities: You can participate in door-knocking, make phone calls, help staff a booth at an event, etc.
We appreciate your help!
GOUD appreciates your input on what can be done to improve transparency, accountability, and voter trust in the election process.
GOUD appreciates your donation, it will help get the word out about our campaign to improve the election system.
Subscribe to get regular updates on GOUD's campaign
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