I also had a chance this week to understand a little bit better the process that some candidates choose to go through to gather signatures to get on the primary ballot.

There are some in our area, mostly the Republican Party, who are strong proponents of the caucus/convention system and vehement opponents of signature-gathering.

Many are the ones who consistently attend caucus nights, frequently are elected as state and county delicates, and go to their respective state and county conventions. Many put a lot of time and effort into that process and believe strongly that such work makes their perspective have more validity.

The problem I see, as I have expressed before, is the limited nature of such a process.

It’s almost unheard of for delegates to return to their precincts and seek consensus with the others of their party over who would be the best candidate. The overwhelming majority rely on their own opinions, which is fine — but as we have seen in numerous primary elections they are frequently out of touch with what the majority of their party believes would be best.

I’ve heard all of the excuses, but the results show voters often prefer different candidates than delegates do.

I’ve heard caucus/convention supporters refer to their approach as “grassroots” — but I’ve seen for myself that many signature-gathering campaigns are the same way.

Some candidates are able to support local businesses and hire companies to gather signatures, but many are supported by friends, family, neighbors, and other members of the community in their effort to gather the signatures necessary to be on the ballot.

And, when you think about it, every single person who chooses to sign their name in favor of having a candidate on the ballot is also getting involved. They are a member of their community with as much of a right to vote as anyone else.

I think it’s incredibly valuable that I don’t have to rely on a delegate — who may or may not share my views on certain issues — to decide who will be on the ballot. I can choose, if the opportunity is available, to support someone’s candidacy with my signature. If enough people agree with me, all of the party’s voters get the right to decide in a primary.

I think we can all agree that we want good people to be our representatives in our local, state and national governments.

I believe every voter should have the opportunity through their chosen method to support the individuals that they think would do the best job.

As I’ve gotten involved in the process in my community, I’ve met many candidates, many delegates, many signature-gatherers and attended candidate events and conventions.

I have discovered that there are a wide variety of opinions when it comes to politics and issues. There are many people who view things very differently than I do, but there are also many who agree with me on topics and candidates.

That’s the beauty of our system.

I have tremendous respect for those who put themselves out there to run for public office at any level.

I have tremendous respect for those who get involved in the caucus/convention system and invest their time and attention to doing the best they can to find good candidates.

I have tremendous respect for those who go into our communities to gather signatures from our citizens — especially for those who are volunteers but also for those who are paid to do the job because they provide an important service.

And I have tremendous respect for residents who choose to sign their names to give candidates an opportunity to get on the ballot, share their ideas, and provide options to voters as they consider who they believe would be best for the job.

President Abraham Lincoln, in his famous Gettysburg Address in 1863, highlighted the phrase “government of the people, by the people, for the people” and I think all of these efforts showcase that element of our republic.

We are citizens of the United States of America, the state of Utah and our local communities. We have the right and responsibility to do the best job we can to create and support the government we want.

Just like Mayor Judkins, I hope we choose to get involved, to support candidates and policies that we think we’ll make a difference.

And I hope we also respect that everyone deserves to have the right to do it in the way they think is best, even if it is different than ours.

Jared Lloyd is the managing editor of the Daily Herald and can be reached at jlloyd@heraldextra.com.