The Independent View: Utah's SB54s2 Will Open Party's Primaries to Independents

Some history. The Count My Vote Campaign is an ballot initiative to change Utah's Caucus System because it hinders participation. But Utah’s legislature, which conservatives control by a wide margin, is working on its own legislation that would circumvent the ballot initiative.

Despite grumbling and constitutional doubts, the Utah Legislature sent a deal to Gov. Gary Herbert that will overhaul the process for choosing candidates for office and bring to an end the Count My Vote’s ballot initiative.

While the bill, SB54s2, lets parties keep their existing caucus-and-convention system for nominating candidates, it also allows aspiring officeholders who collect enough petition signatures to go straight to the primary ballot.

The measure is the result of a compromise between legislators and leaders of the Count My Vote initiative movement, which collected more than 100,000 of the 102,000 signatures needed to let voters decide whether to supplant the caucus-convention system with direct primaries.

Given the likelihood of Count My Vote getting on the ballot and passing, Sen. Curt Bramble, the sponsor of the measure, had said that it was prudent to negotiate a resolution.

Count My Vote has agreed to abandon its ballot initiative once the governor signs the legislation.

Under the bill, the more than 660,000 unaffiliated voters, those not registered as a member of any political party, could vote in whatever party primary they choose.

Rep. Kraig Powell, R-Heber City, said parties can associate however they wish, but when they want to put candidates on the public ballot for a taxpayer-funded election, they have to comply with the requirements from the Legislature.

"I believe this bill is not only legally supportable, but I believe it is politically absolutely crucial," said Powell, "because it is the type of thing voters of this state are asking for, and they have a right to do so."

The bill passed the House Wednesday, 49-20, and went back to the Senate, which also approved the measure, 21-7.

Under the framework in SB54s2, a candidate running for statewide office would need signatures from 28,000 voters to get on the primary ballot.

A quarter of that number would be needed to run for one of the four congressional district seats. State Senate candidates would need 2,000 signatures and House candidates would need half that number.

The signatures could come from ANY registered voter.

There is the potential that numerous candidates could get on the primary ballot and end up winning a party’s nomination without capturing a majority.

House Majority Leader Brad Dee said those are issues that the Legislature can address next year, because the changes to the nominating process will not take effect until the 2016 election.

Contrary to those who contend SB54s2 destroys the caucus system, Dee said he believes the bill is "the right way to preserve it, rather than let someone have control of it."

This is a start. But It does not answers my issue that voters what to vote for candidates not parties in the 21st Century.