[4][3] Dougall was first elected to the Utah House of Representatives in 2002, winning against a crowded field of Republican Party primary opponents.

The bill was signed into law in March 2011 by governor Gary Herbert, but it was repealed two weeks later after public backlash and harsh criticism from The Salt Lake Tribune.

[3] Dougall was elected Utah State Auditor in 2012, defeating fellow Republican incumbent Auston Johnson.

[8] As state auditor, Dougall has led audits that have revealed mismanagement and unethical or illegal behavior at various levels of government in Utah,[9][10] and some of his investigations have targeted members of his own party.

[3] Dougall briefly considered challenging Mitt Romney in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in 2018, but ultimately decided against it.