'Count My Vote' drive raises more than $450K

'Count My Vote' drive raises more than $450K


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SALT LAKE CITY — Count My Vote, the group behind the effort to change Utah's unique system for selecting political party nominees through an initiative petition drive, reported Tuesday raising more than $450,000.

The group announced that the money came from some 30 donors, both Republicans and Democrats, during the past six weeks as part of a fundraising push.

The single largest contribution, $100,000, came from Gail Miller. Miller, whose late husband, Larry H. Miller had served as head of former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s Commission on Strengthening Utah's Democracy, was named a co-chairwoman of Count My Vote last week.

In previous filings with the state Elections Office, the political issues committee behind Count My Vote, Alliance for Good Government, had reported collecting $70,000 from four donors through mid-July.


Modernizing our election system is the most important civic issue facing Utahns today.

–Rich McKeown, the chairman of Count My Vote


"Modernizing our election system is the most important civic issue facing Utahns today," Rich McKeown, the chairman of Count My Vote, said. McKeown said the group was "thrilled by the overwhelming, broad-based support" received.

McKeown and other Republicans, including former Gov. Mike Leavitt; political consultant LaVarr Webb, a columnist for the Deseret News; and University of Utah Hinckley Institute of Politics head Kirk Jowers, are behind the initiative.

They are seeking to increase voter participation in elections by replacing the current system with more open primary elections. Currently, candidates with enough support from party delegates can secure a nomination without a primary.

Backers of the initiative will need to collect more than 101,000 signatures around the state to qualify for a spot on the November 2014 ballot, a process expected to cost well over $1 million. Email: lroche@ksl.com Twitter: DNewsPolitics

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Lisa Riley Roche

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