The Count My Vote initiative process was re-launched last week, signaling a failure on the part of the state’s Republican Party leaders to accept a compromise on direct primary elections that was in their own best interest.
Three years ago, when a similar initiative was underway and gaining steam, the Republican-controlled Legislature struck a deal with petition organizers. Known by its bill number, SB54, the compromise offered the best of both worlds. Party conventions retained the power to nominate candidates based on a percentage of delegate support, and those who feared they would be unable to garner such support could gain access to the primary ballot through a petition process.
But if the current initiative, backed by some of the state’s most notable leaders, passes, the convention nominating system would be eliminated. Voters would see many more direct primaries.
It would hand an unnecessary defeat to the more recalcitrant members of party leadership who have insisted on waging an expensive legal battle against SB54 ever since it was signed into law. They have lost every court decision to date, but they have decided to continue the fight despite mounting legal bills and the wishes of new party chairman Rob Anderson.
At the heart of the Count My Vote campaign is concern about political participation in Utah. Once among the states with the highest voter turnout, Utah now ranks among those with below average participation.
No doubt, more than one factor is responsible for this, including the domination of Republican Party support and the fact Democrats allow many races to go unopposed. Twenty-two legislative races in 2016 included no Democrats, while Democrats ran unopposed in six races.
But the caucus and convention system, which results in an exclusionary nominating process that has tended to skew to the right of what most party faithful prefer, is a huge deterrent. Both main parties have suffered from a system that allows their more extreme elements to gain power.
The recent primary race in the 3rd Congressional District illustrated the disconnect between Republican convention delegates and regular party members. The convention chose Chris Herrod, but voters chose John Curtis, who got on the ballot via a petition drive.
State lawmakers have made it difficult for initiatives to make it on statewide ballots. Organizers must obtain signatures representing a proportion of the voters in 26 of the state’s 29 Senate districts. That becomes a challenge in rural areas where long distances separate homes and towns.
But this drive has the backing of former governor and Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, former first lady Norma Matheson, Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams and Utah Jazz owner Gail Miller. By all indications, it has the resources and the organization necessary to obtain what amounts to 113,000 needed signatures.
The backers note Utah’s convention system has the highest barrier to primary ballots of any state (candidates must receive at least 40 percent support to qualify), and they point out how convention delegates under-represent women and younger voters. Yet the convention system does help candidates who lack funding to get a hearing.
Party leadership has taken a huge gamble by rejecting the compromise of SB54 and allowing this initiative drive to restart, especially since Utah voters may feel they have the most to gain if it succeeds.