PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 4, 2018
INITIATIVE OPPONENTS SHOULD FIGHT FAIR AND IN THE OPEN
Salt Lake City, UT – Campaigns are underway to narrowly disqualify the medical marijuana and Count My Vote ballot initiatives, asking voters to rescind their signatures now that the deadline for signature-gathering has passed. On Friday, good government group, Alliance for a Better Utah, decried the signature-removal campaigns’ underhanded attempts to remove initiatives from the November ballot.
“The initiatives worked for months to gather the statutorily required signatures – well over 100,000 signatures for each initiative. Now, these ‘signature-removal campaigns’ are working in the shadows to stymie the desires of hundreds of thousands of Utahns,” said Josh Kanter, board chair of Better Utah. “Furthermore, rather than put these matters to the voters come November, these initiative opponents want to use underhanded tactics, often claiming fraud and deceit, to derail this democratic process by targeting just a few hundred voters across the state.
“Utah voters are well informed, and can be trusted to make responsible decisions on the ballot. We believe that opponents to the initiatives should engage in a fair, open debate on these important issues, and make their case to all Utahns. Better Utah supports the position expressed by Governor Herbert – whether you support or oppose any of the ballot initiatives, work to convince all the voters of Utah and let these questions that have already gathered the requisite signatures have their day on the ballot.”
###
Alliance for a Better Utah is a good government advocacy and watchdog organization based in Salt Lake City. The organization works to improve the lives of all Utahns by ensuring balance, transparency, and accountability in Utah politics, policy, and government. More information at www.betterutah.org.