Just when you thought the ‘Count My Vote’ war was over, a new battle breaks out within Utah’s Republican party. Candidates can start their applications for petitions recently allowed under the Count My Vote compromise on Jan. 4, less than two months away. There is however a problem, if Republican candidates go through with a petition, they could be kicking themselves out of their own party. There are two issues at hand. The first is in an inconsistency in Senate Bill 54 – passed In the Count My Vote compromise. Under the plan candidates have three options to get on the ballot:
1.Go to the convention and get nominated by 100 delegates.
2. Get a petition with 2000 signatures and head straight to the primary.
3. Or both.
The way the law is written, the Utah Republican party can still choose either / or. They don’t have to allow the option of a petition for a candidate to get on the ballot, which brings up the second issue.
What defines a Utah republican? The Utah republican party under the new count my vote compromise, can define what makes a Republican. Right now in Utah, Republicans, by definition, can’t petition for votes.