Committee extends closed primary election provision

A legislative interim committee today backed extending for another five years, a provision in the law allowing unaffiliated voters to join a political party at the polls in a primary election.

The recommendation by the Government Operations Interim Committee, which will go to the 2008 Legislature for action, applies only to unaffiliated voters who want to participate in Republican primary elections.

Lawmakers adopted the provision after the Utah GOP closed its primaries to non-Republicans in 2003, but with a July 1, 2008 sunset date. The committee voted 9-2 to recommend lawmakers extend it for another five years.

Todd Weiler, vice chairman of the Utah Republican Party, told the committee that over the past five years the number of unaffiliated voters has dropped. Extending the provision may continue that trend, Weiler said.

Currently, some 56 percent of Utah voters are not signed up with a political party. Weiler said that number was some 20 percent higher before the GOP, the majority party in Utah, required voters to be registered Republicans to participate in its primary elections, a decision that he acknowledged has been controversial.

Weiler said the GOP's state central committee solidly supports extending the option for unaffiliated voters to declare themselves Republicans at the polls and vote, although a few party officials still believe only "true-blue" members should be able to participate.

But Weiler said most Republican officials believe that if someone wants to vote GOP, "we want them to be able to come and participate in that primary and not be turned away because they didn't register" with the party in advance.

Without the provision, voters would have to change their party affiliation to Republican 30 days in advance in order to vote in a GOP primary. Utah Democrats do not close their primaries, but as the minority party, do not often have run-off elections.

Two Democrats on the committee questioned the provision.

Sen. Brent Goodfellow, D-West Valley, complained he's been "recruited" at the polls to change his party affiliation. Weiler said while that could be happening, he is not aware of it.

Rep. Neil Hansen, D-Ogden, asked how clergy and others who are politically neutral are affected when they can't vote without joining a political party. Weiler said that hasn't been a problem for himself or the current GOP party chairman, Stan Lockhart, to serve as a bishop in the LDS Church while participating in party politics.

"Remaining neutral can mean maybe not publicly endorsing someone or not having a yard sign," Weiler said. He said despite criticism of the GOP's closed primaries, the party is not likely to change that practice anytime soon.

---

E-mail: lisa@desnews.com