KSL 5
The Utah Supreme Court said Tuesday that state election officials must accept online petition signatures to qualify individuals for the ballot. This ruling is the first of its kind nationwide. It promises to make it easier for candidates and causes to use the Internet as part of the political process. “A signature under (Utah law) does not require a signor to physically handle a piece of paper and sign her name with a pen,” justices said in a 15-page ruling issued as voters went to the polls for primary elections. “An electronic signature is sufficient to satisfy the election code.”
Groups advocating government reform are criticizing Gov. Gary Herbert for making it harder for citizens to create laws by making it easier to have their signatures removed from petitions. The big question now is: will they have enough signatures? A pair of citizens’ petitions — one on ethics, another on redistricting — need nearly 100,000 signatures, but in some districts they’re coming up short. The 2010 elections in Utah could be remembered as the Year of the Big Reform Showdown.