University of Utah forum discusses whether delegates represent Utah's voters

SALT LAKE CITY — Does Utah's system of choosing candidates to represent political parties need to be overhauled to boost voter participation?

That question was raised repeatedly Tuesday during a discussion titled "Do Utah's Delegates Represent Utah's Voters?" held at the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics and based on the latest Utah Priorities Project survey.

The survey, conducted by Dan Jones & Associates for the Deseret News and KSL-TV in partnership with the Hinckley Institute and the Utah Foundation, found that delegates and voters disagree on the importance of some issues.

For example, improving public education was cited as the top priority of Democratic delegates but didn't make the top five list of GOP delegates' issues — even though active voters, including Republicans, placed it at or near the top of their lists.

Hinckley Institute director Kirk Jowers said such findings, as well as the state's low voter turnout, show why the current caucus system needs to be changed.

Jowers said the survey showed that women are "severely under-represented" among delegates, who are chosen at neighborhood party caucus meetings and determine at state conventions whether there will be a party primary open to eligible voters.

He said among the "saddest" outcomes of the system was the 2004 GOP convention defeat of the state's first female governor, Olene Walker, despite her high approval ratings among voters.

Jowers, whose wife is a GOP delegate, said the 40 percent threshold to get on the primary ballot needs to be lowered to 20 percent or even less to give voters more of a choice.

But party leaders weren't interested when Jowers approached them about changes as the head of the Governor's Commission on Strengthening Democracy, a group formed by former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

"The less people show up, the more power you have," Jowers said, describing the current system as benefiting incumbents and party bosses. If "more people participate, we all win."

Pollster Randy Shumway, chief executive of the Utah-based Cicero Group that recently acquired Jones' polling company, said delegates tend to be slightly older, better educated and higher paid than voters — plus the vast majority have lived in the state for more than 20 years.

Shumway, a GOP delegate himself, said the rules used to choose candidates need to be consistent and transparent. He suggested delegates be able to advance up to three candidates to a primary.

"Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater," Shumway said, calling his suggestion "the best of both worlds, because a direct primary excludes people who don't have the resources."

The discussion comes as both Republicans and Democrats get ready for their state conventions on May 8. The survey shows that delegates may oust Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, or at least force him into a primary.

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KUED will air the Hinckley Institute of Politics forum "Do Utah's Delegates Represent Utah's Voters?" at 11 p.m. Thursday, May 6.