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State GOP moves to prevent Weber County from punishing signature-gathering candidates

State GOP Chairman Rob Anderson says if the county took action against signature-gathering candidates, it could — ironically — jeopardize every Utah Republican candidate’s ability to use the caucus-convention path to the ballot.

If parties also want to allow the caucus-convention path to the ballot, they must meet requirements as a “qualified political party” and agree to allow candidates to get on the ballot through either method, or both.

But Anderson and Mark Thomas, state elections director for Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, say bylaws adopted last spring by the Weber County Republican Party would violate requirements of such “qualified” parties.