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Senate passes compromise elections bill after extended debate over primaries and caucuses
Summary
After hours of floor debate, the Utah Senate advanced Senate Bill 54 — a compromise elections package that would enshrine a direct primary as the default while preserving party caucus options if parties adopt new participation measures — by a 26–2 second-reading vote; the bill moves to third reading.
The Utah Senate advanced a compromise elections measure, Senate Bill 54, on second reading after an extended floor debate that divided senators over the balance between party control and broader voter access.
Senator Bramble, sponsor of SB 54, told colleagues the bill is intended to boost citizen participation by creating a statutory direct-primary default while allowing political parties to retain caucus-convention nomination methods if they adopt measures to broaden access. Bramble said the bill incorporates elements of the Count My Vote initiative — including a mechanism for unaffiliated voters to participate and…
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