Borrowing a tactic used by opponents of medical marijuana, Keep My Voice and the Constitution Party of Utah sued Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox on Friday to impede an initiative focused on how candidates gain a spot on the ballot.
The lawsuit accuses Cox — who oversees elections in Utah — of having a personal and partisan conflict of interest toward the Count My Vote initiative, improperly advocating for it, and failing to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of his office.
The plaintiffs also take issue with running signature totals released by the state elections office, claiming state law requires a full count of petition signatures and signature-removal requests prior to the public release of initiative totals.