A vote for change: it's time to modernize Utah's caucus-convention system.

• Author: Gochnour, Natalie
• Position: Economic Insight

This month, Utah Republicans and Democrats will gather in their state organizing conventions to nominate officers and conduct party business. Among other items, the parties will consider resolutions to improve the caucus-convention system. I count myself among a sizable group of Utahns who would like to see both major political parties modernize the state's election system.

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We have a lot to be proud of in Utah, but voter participation is not on the list. Our voter turnout now consistently ranks in the bottom 10 states. Voter participation in Utah declined from 69 percent in 1972 to 51.4 percent in 2012. That's right. Only about one in two Utahns of voting age showed up at the ballot box in the last election. Clearly, something is wrong.

Experts will tell you there are many reasons voter participation has fallen. All of the problems need to be addressed, but we can start with Utah's caucus-convention system.

Stifling Participation

The caucus-convention system contributes to low voter turnout because it limits participation in the political process. The limitation comes in two ways. First, the system is inflexible. Caucus night is a set date and time. You have to be there to be included, and this just doesn't work in the modern world. People who are serving LDS missions, caring for children at home, serving in the military, attending to a sick person, traveling for work, giving birth, sick in bed, involved in an out-of-state family wedding (my issue this year) or any other number of conflicts can't participate.

The second limitation is social. The caucus system requires people to share their political views. Many are uncomfortable talking about their political preferences in a crowd, particularly in their own neighborhood. Instead, they just stay home.

I applaud Utah's Republican Party for realizing the problem and considering improvements. Retiring party Chairman Thomas Wright has shown leadership in addressing the issue. At their organizing convention, Republicans will consider a list of potential improvements. Among others, the party is considering more caucus-convention training for the general public, online pre-caucus registration for attendees, a procedure to allow for proxy voting...