Does it matter if Ivory has name on ballot?

A few items this week as we're nearing the end of the 2004 election season:

• The Nancy Workman saga continues — now without her on the ballot. Workman got a doctor's note last Monday and quit the Salt Lake County mayor's race on Tuesday. As you may know, Utah law is very restrictive on how a candidate can quit a race — after being officially certified as their party's candidate — and be replaced on the ballot with a new candidate representing that party. Basically, you have to die or be certified by a medical doctor as disabled mentally or physically.

Wednesday the Salt Lake County Republican Party tried to replace Workman on the ballot with Ellis Ivory, who started a write-in campaign a week earlier.

The county GOP's central committee — on the day Ivory announced his write-in campaign — officially removed its endorsement of Workman and endorsed Ivory.

Ivory first told me that he's staying away from the GOP label — not hiding from it, but keeping his distance. Now that Workman is out of the race and her name won't be on the ballot, Ivory says he's surprised and pleased that county Republicans want him on the ballot in her place.

The difference between being a write-in candidate or having your name on the ballot may seem small, but it could be decisive to who wins Nov. 2. It's so critical that the state Democratic Party is talking about suing to keep Ivory's name off the ballot. Independent mayoral candidate Merrill Cook says he may sue as well, "as a last resort," should Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen move to fulfill the Republicans' request.

Ivory, a millionaire I'm sure, says he'll spend $400,000 of his own money on his truncated four-week race. Much of that will come through identifying possible supporters and getting them ballot stickers for his write-in vote.

To the best of anyone's memory, no write-in candidate has won a major Utah race. If anyone can change that dynamic, it may be Ivory. He already has the support of about a third of the voters. He has fairly good name ID (Ivory Homes is a well-known and respected home building company in Utah). He has the personal funds to organize a major write-in campaign. And he's not now connected to the problems of Salt Lake County government, being an outsider.

But it's a big drawback, not having his name actually on the ballot Nov. 2. For example, straight-party GOP voters — the guys who just punch one line on the ballot and walk out the door — would not be voting for the write-in Ivory. They'd have to actually write his name (or put an Ivory sticker) on the envelope that covers the ballot.