Mitt Romney Backs the Count My Vote Initiative

The Count My Vote initiative got some big-name support from perhaps the most popular political figure in the state, former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who also criticized efforts by the Legislature to preempt the initiative, saying it "feels very wrong." 

"I want to tell you that Ann and I are supporters. Since the election, I’ve been pushing hard for states to move to direct primaries," Romney wrote in an email last week to former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt. "Caucus/convention systems exclude so many people: they rarely produce a result that reflects how rank-and-file Republicans feel. I think that’s true for Democrats, too."

Romney had previously expressed his opposition to the use of caucuses to nominate candidates nationally, but the email marks the first time that the former Massachusetts governor and Salt Lake Olympic boss directly endorsed Count My Vote’s effort to replace caucuses with direct primaries. 

The Legislature, however, is considering legislation that would give political parties a wide path around the Count My Vote primaries, whether the initiative passes or fails in November.

In his email, Romney said he was surprised lawmakers would meddle with a voter initiative. 

"It seems to me if voters use a constitutional process to formally demand a chance to vote on something, the legislature shouldn’t interfere," Romney wrote. "I’m especially surprised legislators would interfere with a ballot measure defining how they get elected. It smacks of self-interest and feels very wrong."

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