Gov. Gary Herbert accepted strong advice Wednesday -- in the form of eight recommendations -- from the 19-member panel appointed by his predecessor to breathe new life into the state's electorate.

"The only one that's controversial to me at all is the campaign contribution limits," Herbert said. "But I'm here with an open mind and I'm willing to find that common-ground compromise."

Still, while Herbert said he agreed with most of the recommendations, he questioned the wisdom of Election Day voter registration.

"I think it's important to have as high a percentage of voter turnout as you can," Herbert said, "but I would take a lesser number if they were better informed when they show up to vote."

He posed the question: "If someone signs up to vote on Election Day, are they informed?"

Former Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., who resigned in August to become U.S. ambassador to China, formed the bipartisan Governor's Commission on Strengthening Democracy in January to discover why Utahns have disengaged in the political process -- and to bring them back.

"The fact that you managed to come together is compelling to me," Herbert told the group that struggled for weeks to reach consensus on campaign finance limits.

Herbert said he hopes that lawmakers will examine the idea of proportionality in establishing such caps, since one statewide race encompasses 29 Senate and 75 House districts.

Herbert's October gala fundraiser netted about $1 million, including several $50,000 donations. The proposed limits would bar him from contributions exceeding $10,000.

"I believe that instantaneous disclosure has been key -- that's where we share commonality," Herbert told the panel. "Disclosing where I get donations from is as important, if not more, than what they give me."

Initially Huntsman asked the commission to research independent ethics and redistricting commissions, but negotiations with state legislative leaders led him to remove those volatile issues from their purview.

Both are now subjects of separate citizen initiatives, which if enough signatures are gathered by April 15, will land on next November's ballot.

The commission's recommendation to establish a panel of three retired judges within the Lieutenant Governor's office to investigate lobbying and election complaints struck home with Herbert, who as lieutenant governor was handed an explosive bribery complaint prior to last year's Republican primary.

That investigation strung out for several months -- through several agencies -- before ending in a class B misdemeanor plea in Salt Lake City's Justice Court.

"It's really hard to take the politics out of politics," Herbert said. "I do like the idea of having some ability in the Lieutenant Governor's office to actually come up with some kind of finding of fact in a timely fashion."

Herbert said he plans to review the commission's recommendations in detail and then watch what the Legislature does in January.

cmckitrick@sltrib.com