801-493-9755
debate@utahdebatecommission.org
About
Our Mission
The Mission of the non-profit Commission is to produce substantive, independent, and nonpartisan debates of significance to the State of Utah. We seek to provide the highest quality of political discourse, expand civic education, foster public engagement, and maximize voter participation.
Critical Functions of the Utah Debate Commission:
- Promotes Civic Engagement: Funding the Utah Debate Commission encourages informed civic participation by providing a platform for meaningful debates on crucial issues.
- Enhances Democratic Processes: Supporting the commission contributes to an open and transparent democratic system, fostering healthy political discourse and understanding among constituents.
- Ensures Fair Representation: By allocating funds to the Utah Debate Commission, the State Legislature supports an impartial forum for candidates to present diverse perspectives to voters.
- Educates the Electorate: The commission plays a vital role in educating voters, allowing them to make well-informed decisions by facilitating debates that delve into candidates’ positions and policy proposals.
- Strengthens Democracy’s Foundation: Financial support for the Utah Debate Commission reinforces the foundational principles of democracy, promoting accountability, accessibility, and the exchange of ideas in the electoral process.
The Utah Debate Commission:
- Forms partnerships with state educational institutions throughout the state to secure appropriate venues and audiences for debates, as well as to sponsor educational activities related to debates and elections.
- Coordinates with television stations to provide live television coverage of scheduled debates.
- Schedules and announce debate dates and venues well in advance of the conclusion of party nomination processes.
- Selects moderators or press panels from among local journalists or academics.
- Creates a system for voter input in debate attendance and participation, as well as public participation in debate content.
- Determines the rules for the debate such as format, response length, rebuttals, etc.
The commission has the following guidelines:
- Remain independent and non-partisan to ensure that candidates from all existing registered political parties in Utah will have access to debate participation.
- Set thresholds for participation to allow voters a meaningful exchange between viable candidates. The thresholds will be high enough to include viable candidates, but low enough to admit candidates who may have a significant chance of acquiring public support.
- Rotate debate venues across the state to increase public participation, as well as highlight regional issues throughout the state.
- Schedule one to two debates for statewide and federal races each election cycle. While this does not preclude the candidates from scheduling additional debates, it does guarantee there will be at least one debate in each race.
The Structure
The debate commission has two co-chairs – one from each major party. These individuals are responsible for supervising the production and scheduling of each debate in each election cycle and working with education partners and media affiliates on debate logistics and media coverage. The chairs also coordinate with candidate campaigns and party organizations. In addition, they identify corporate and individual sponsors for each debate cycle.
The organization also includes a board of directors, including representatives of the five affiliate television stations (KSL, KUTV, KTVX, PBS Utah, and FOX 13), representatives of the eight universities in the state (Utah State University, Brigham Young University, Weber State University, Southern Utah University, Utah Valley University, University of Utah, Utah Tech University and Salt Lake Community College), and civic and community leaders.