Opinion: The caucus/convention system gives Utahns vetted candidates

With election season coming up, politicians are gathering supporters. This is a critical time for the people of Utah because it determines what candidates will be on the ballot in November 2024. Utah has a caucus/convention system where the politically observant people in a neighborhood get together and choose representatives, called delegates. These delegates take the time to study the candidates to determine whose record shows they will support the values of the community.

I remember last year spending five evenings and two Saturdays vetting the candidates for political office; later, someone came to me with a petition for a candidate whom I had already determined would be a very poor choice. The petitioner said let’s just put this candidate on the primary ballot and let the voters decide who they want.

We all know the average voter doesn’t know who is running in each race until they are in the voting booth and see the ballot, then they just vote on name recognition, or they trust a party to have vetted the candidate. The purpose of petitions is to prevent the parties from vetting candidates.

Please remember: If you haven’t investigated a candidate, signing a petition for him or her circumvents a system that had served Utah for over a century.

David J. Adamson

American Fork