On March 5, the Utah legislature passed SB 54. It changes the existing system by which parties nominate candidates. Current law does not permit anyone to run for a party nomination unless he or she does well at a pre-primary convention. But under the bill, anyone could petition onto the primary ballot, regardless of what happened at the party convention, although the petitions would be quite difficult. Statewide candidates would need approximately 28,000 signatures.

The bill also requires parties to let independent voters vote in their primaries, and lets any voter sign a petition to place a candidate on a party primary ballot. It also requires parties to let members cast a convention vote even if the member is not physically present at the convention. See this story.