After all, the state has been predominantly Republican for decades. And when it comes to electing the nation's next president, the majority rules.

"A vote for [John] Kerry really doesn't matter here in Utah," said Jon Canchola, president of the Utah State University College Democrats. "It's really frustrating."

But with the help of an Internet connection and a trusting heart, Canchola can vent that frustration. The modus operandi: Vote swapping. Or as they're calling it this year, "vote pairing" online.

Here's how it works: By logging on to http://www.

votepair.org, a Kerry supporter in Utah can sign up to trade votes with a third-party follower in swing states such as Oregon, Ohio or Florida.

In other words, the Utahn votes for Ralph Nader while the swing-state partner chooses Kerry.

The goal is to defeat President Bush by pushing the Electoral College count in Kerry's favor. And third-party candidates like Nader can receive votes to qualify for federal matching funds without "spoiling" the chance for Kerry to win office.

An Internet search revealed no posted swap sites for Republican voters.

"The best way I see to make my vote really matter in this election is to do a [vote] swap with someone in a swing state who is really trying to vote for Nader," said Sara Baldwin, a senior at the University of Utah.

"This election is razor-close and this coalition [of vote pairers] along with other efforts to move swing-state voters could make a difference," said Jamin Raskin, one of the Web site's legal advisers and a professor of constitutional law at American University in Washington.

While the practice is technically legal because votes are being "paired," not sold, Utah Elections Office Director Amy Naccarato said vote swapping is generally frowned upon.

"We're concerned about the perception of the process being fair," she said. "We just like to make sure our elections are as fair as possible and nobody's feeling coerced and nothing funny is going on. We get very protective of the election process."

In 2000, several sites for swapping were shut down because elections officials said they violated laws against bartering for votes. Naccarato said her office may need to review potential legal issues surrounding vote swapping before the Nov. 2 election.

Raskin said he is convinced it is legal.

"There is no law that says you have to vote for the person who you think most closely represents your views of the world," he said. "Most people don't vote for their first choice. They vote tactically to vote the agenda they best desire."

Added Baldwin: "If I could really vote my conscience in this election, I would probably vote for the Green Party candidate, David Cobb. But I realize that there's a time and a place for voting Green."

Brigham Young University political scientist Kelly Patterson said that given the demographics of the 2004 election, vote swapping is unlikely to make a difference - especially considering that Nader's name may be on the ballot in only 34 states this year.

"There are dynamics that have changed the [presidential] race since 2000," said Patterson, director of the BYU Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy. "There will be states that will be close, but it will be a mistake to think that you will see the same totals."

While about 36,000 people signed up to swap votes during the 2000 election, just over 2,000 have registered this year, Raskin said.

With those numbers, encouraging people to actually exercise their vote may be a better tactic, said University of Utah political scientist Tim Chambless.

"I'm biased," he said. "If I were king, I would require everyone on Election Day to vote and they would like it. Unless [people] vote and make a commitment to the process, they're more or less powerless."

And with vote swapping there is no guarantee, said Aaron Thompson, past president of the College Democrats at Westminster College.

"I think voting for who you believe in, no matter whether you think it's a wasted vote or not, that's the upstanding thing to do," he said.

Within the next few days, registered vote swappers will be paired with a partner. In states where a third-party candidate does not appear on the ballot, vote swappers are told to write in their partners' choice.

nwarburton@sltrib.com

What is vote swapping?

* An effort to elect Sen. John Kerry to the White House, while encouraging support of third-party candidates like Ralph Nader.

How does it work?

* For a Democrat in Utah, vote swapping means trading a vote for Kerry with a third-party supporter in a "swing" state. For instance, the Utah Democrat would vote for Nader, while her swing-state partner would vote for Kerry.

Why does it work?

*This philosophy is based on the "winner-take-all" rule of the Electoral College. The president is elected after winning a majority of electoral votes, not the popular vote. In swing states like Florida or Ohio, electoral votes can be decided by a few hundred voters.

Is this legal?

*Legality is still in question, but vote swapping may not be against the law because votes are "paired," not sold.