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Emily Anderson Stern

Statewatch Reporter

Emily is a statewatch reporter at The Salt Lake Tribune, where she has worked since 2022. She received her master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. There, she worked on investigative projects for The Washington Post and ProPublica. While writing, she's probably spinning something from her ever-expanding shelf of punk records.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Gov. Spencer Cox and House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, attend a meeting of the Capitol Preservation Board at the Utah Capitol on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026.

A ‘Grand Liberty Arch’ was canceled amid pushback. Utah leaders are moving to decide what’s next at the Capitol.

By Emily Anderson Stern | October 2, 2026, 12:00 p.m.

(Allison Robbert | AP) Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, attends a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

Sen. Mike Lee wants to impeach a federal judge for ruling against Trump — and is asking for $5 to do it

By Emily Anderson Stern | Robert Gehrke | September 29, 2026, 12:00 p.m.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Rep. Trevor Lee appeared at a GOP Learning Event sponsored by Utah Republicans at the University of Utah on April 10, 2026. Lee resigned his seat Monday after criminal charged were filed against him.

State Rep. Trevor Lee charged with four felonies related to alleged mortgage fraud

By Robert Gehrke | Emily Anderson Stern | Addy Baird | September 29, 2026, 4:40 p.m.

(Allison Robbert | The New York Times) The Supreme Court has sided with the Trump administration in allowing an expansive database to screen voter eligibility.

Utah will not purge voter lists based on Trump’s database — despite Supreme Court ruling

By Emily Anderson Stern | September 26, 2026, 12:00 p.m.

(U.S. District Court) According to federal prosecutors, this photo shows the dumpster at an Eagle Mountain church where a postal worker allegedly threw away approximately 300 ballots for voters to use in the June 23, 2026, primary election.

Utah postal worker accused of tossing ballots in church dumpster said his motivation was ‘laziness’ — not political

By Emily Anderson Stern | Jessica Schreifels | September 25, 2026, 12:03 p.m.

(U.S. Department of Justice) Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter speaks during a news conference in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, announcing charges against a Utah postal worker accused of destroying ballots before they were mailed to voters during the June primary election.

A Utah postal worker allegedly threw ballots in a church dumpster. DOJ says it justifies a crackdown on mail voting.

By Emily Anderson Stern | September 22, 2026, 10:32 p.m.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A voter drops off two ballots at a ballot drop box at the Davis Conference Center in Layton on Monday, June 22, 2026.

As Utah’s elections chief faces federal threats, auditors again find no signs of ‘significant fraud’ in voting

By Emily Anderson Stern | September 16, 2026, 1:20 a.m.

(Julia Demaree Nikhinson | AP) President Donald Trump and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox listen as Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Washington.

Sen. Mike Lee says Utah’s elections chief is wrong to defy Trump’s DOJ, as Gov. Cox, other Republicans defend her

By Emily Anderson Stern | September 13, 2026, 12:04 a.m.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Gov. Spencer Cox says a few words at the Turning Point event Glen Smith Spectrum Arena, in Logan on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025.

‘Politics worthy of our country’: Cox declares Charlie Kirk Day a year after the activist’s death

By Emily Anderson Stern | September 10, 2026, 8:39 p.m.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Gov. Spencer Cox speaks during a news conference following the shooting death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.

After Charlie Kirk’s killing, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox had to address the world. He called a Democrat for help.

By Emily Anderson Stern | September 10, 2026, 12:00 p.m.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson speaks during an interview in her office at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026.

Trump’s DOJ is investigating Utah’s election chief for refusing to hand over voter data, it says in letter

By Emily Anderson Stern | Robert Gehrke | September 10, 2026, 10:08 p.m.

(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Supreme Court Justice John Nielsen is recognized during the State of the Judiciary speech at the Capitol in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026.

After first refusing to sit out abortion case, a Utah Supreme Court justice has a change of heart

By Robert Gehrke | Emily Anderson Stern | September 9, 2026, 12:00 p.m.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) A man drops his ballot in the drop box at the Salt Lake County Government Center on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024.

Utah will stop automatically mailing ballots in 2029. Here’s how to make sure you receive one.

By Emily Anderson Stern | September 1, 2026, 12:00 p.m.

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Thomas Coleman Memorial on 300 North and Main Street in Salt Lake, on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026.

A former slave was lynched on Utah’s Capitol Hill. State leaders resisted a memorial, so Salt Lake City acted.

By Emily Anderson Stern | September 1, 2026, 6:58 p.m.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Voters in line at the Utah County polling station in Provo on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024.

What do you care about? Tell us what to ask candidates ahead of November’s elections.

By Emily Anderson Stern | August 28, 2026, 12:00 p.m.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A voter drops off two ballots at a ballot drop box at the Davis Conference Center in Layton on Monday, June 22, 2026.

Trump’s mail-in voting restrictions can stand, Supreme Court rules. Here’s what that means for Utah.

By Emily Anderson Stern | August 25, 2026, 5:12 p.m.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A voter drops off a ballot at a ballot drop box at the Davis Conference Center in Layton on Monday, June 22, 2026.

What big races are on Utahns’ ballots in the 2026 midterm elections?

By Emily Anderson Stern | Addy Baird | Robert Gehrke | August 25, 2026, 5:06 p.m.

(Chris Samuels | The Salt Lake Tribune) People protest the Stratos data center project at the Capitol in Salt Lake City, Thursday, May 14, 2026.

Box Elder data center process was ‘not good,’ Gov. Cox says — and calls for MIDA reforms

By Addy Baird | Emily Anderson Stern | August 20, 2026, 9:43 p.m.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A voter drops off two ballots at a ballot drop box at the Davis Conference Center in Layton on Monday, June 22, 2026.

95% of voters used a mail-in ballot this year — but Utah’s elections are changing in 2029

By Emily Anderson Stern | August 18, 2026, 3:58 p.m.

(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A model of the Grand Liberty Arch Monument is on display during a special event honoring America's 250th birthday and introducing UtahÕs Grand Liberty Arch Monument at the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City on Monday, July 6, 2026.

Salt Lake neighborhood demands Utah leaders seek public input before building monument

By Emily Anderson Stern | August 5, 2026, 4:40 p.m.