Was Utah's Democratic primary of any value?

Utah Democrats held a presidential primary election this past week.

And while it is un-American to ever argue against an election, this primary comes about as close as one can to that disloyal stance.

First, let me put the 2004 Utah Democratic primary in some perspective.

According to information put out by the party, which had to organize and fund the primary itself because the GOP-dominated 2003 Legislature wouldn't pay for it, 35,191 people voted.

Much was made in the media last week over that being a great turnout. I beg to differ.

State election officials say there are just over 1.1 million registered voters in Utah. All could have participated Tuesday, even registered Republicans.

Thus, the voter turnout was 3.1 percent, overall. That is really poor participation, not good participation.

But, some would say, you shouldn't expect Republicans to bother to come out and vote for Democratic presidential candidates. So, if we take out the Republicans (surveys by pollster Dan Jones & Associates shows that about 40 percent of Utahns consider themselves Republicans), and then refigure the calculations, you have a voter turnout of 5.1 percent for Democrats and political independents — those who may want to have a say in who the Democratic Party's nominee is this year.

A 5.1 percent turnout is better than 3.1 percent. But not by much.

Democrats said there were long lines at polling places, much enthusiasm, and the primary was a great success.

I can't speak to the enthusiasm. But there were only 111 polling places in the primary, compared to around 1,200 in a general election. One could expect some long lines.

True, the 35,000 people who turned out Tuesday were more than the 27,000 who voted in the Democrats' 1992 presidential primary straw poll. But then we have nearly 1 million more people in the state now than we had then.

In 2000, the Legislature — after much organization and lobbying by then GOP Gov. Mike Leavitt — ponied up $600,000 to have a statewide, state run, state taxpayer funded, presidential primary.

It was held in March, later than this year's Democratic primary, but still timed to have an impact on the overall nomination races for Republicans and Democrats (both were picking nominees that year from large candidate fields).

Voter turnout then was 10 percent. Also, not good.