Utah Polygamist Community Puts Out Voter's Guide Ahead of Elections

In all, more than 150 candidates were polled. Among the questions: Should candidates accept funds from lobbyists who in turn ask for political favors; should consenting adults in polygamous families be considered criminals; and should the government spend public safety funds disproportionately to target one group of people?

Candidates were rated on a 1-5 scale on ethics and equal civil rights for their answers, with 10 considered a perfect, or positive, score.

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More than 90 candidates for state offices did not respond by the Oct. 18 deadline.

"Obviously, this is a highly contentious issue and with the exception of a very few offices, most obviously being something like attorney general, it's not something most elected officials or those running for office see as a crucial part of what they're doing," said University of Utah political scientist Matthew Burbank.

Among the no-shows was Republican Attorney General Mark Shurtleff who is seeking re-election and has worked closely with polygamous groups. His Democratic challenger Jean Hill did answer and earned 9 points and a thumbs-up for her responses.

Hill contends the state's bigamy statutes are unconstitutional in the wake of the 2003 Supreme Court ruling Lawrence v. Texas. That case struck down a Texas sodomy law, saying it violated the due process clause and that the state has no justifiable interest intruding into the private lives of consenting adults.

Shurtleff says the state's bigamy statutes would be upheld, but it is unreasonable to prosecute thousands of families and place children under state care.

Cannon said the survey is widely anticipated and used by the polygamy community. The completed surveys are also distributed to candidates.

"I think (the survey) has helped us help them realize who we are and what we contribute," Cannon said.