State GOP Ends Appeal Of State Ballot Law 

(Salt Lake City, UT)  –  The Utah Republican Party is ending its federal court case to stop a law affecting how candidates qualify for the ballot.  Party leaders announced Saturday that they were dropping their federal appeal of Senate Bill 54.  The bill allows candidates to qualify for a state primary through signature gathering, nomination by a state party caucus or both.  GOP leaders are supporting a bill in the Legislature that would force a runoff in primaries where a candidate wins with less than 35-percent of the votes.Â