Judge Dianna Gibson of the Utah Third District Court ruled on Aug. 25 that the state’s congressional districts map, adopted in 2021, violated the state constitution. Gibson ordered that a non-politician redistricting commission, in accordance with the requirements of Proposition 4, draft new maps. The ruling followed legislative changes to Proposition 4 in 2020, and…
Utah joined a growing number of states where congressional district boundaries may change before the 2026 elections. A federal district court judge struck down Utah’s congressional map on Aug. 25, 2025, ruling that the Utah State Legislature violated voters’ right to reform their government when it overrode voters’ chosen redistricting rules. The judge gave the…
Ballotpedia completed an inventory of all Utah ballot measures dating back to 1895, when voters approved the state constitution. Between 1895 and 2024, Utahns voted on 220 ballot measures—140 (63.6%) were approved and 80 (36.4%) were defeated. This count includes the ratification of the state constitution by voters in 1895, two months before the United States…
The number of certified statewide ballot measures for both 2025 and 2026 is trending above average compared to previous election cycles as of June 24. 2025 ballot measures For 2025, 27 statewide ballot measures have been certified in seven states—Colorado, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. This is six more than the average…
The Utah Election Office announced on May 8 that signature verification for the collective bargaining referendum is complete. The referendum seeks to repeal House Bill 267, which prohibits public unions and public employers from engaging in collective bargaining. Of the signatures submitted with the referendum petition, 251,590 signatures were verified, and 73,136 were rejected. This…
Protect Utah Workers submitted signatures to the secretary of state’s office on April 15 for a veto referendum that would go before voters on Nov. 3, 2026. The referendum would repeal House Bill 267 (HB 267), which is suspended until the election due to the referendum. HB 267, if enacted, would prohibit public employees, such…
Utah lawmakers passed eight bills and resolutions to assert state sovereignty and limit federal influence during the 2025 legislative session, which ended March 7. These measures address fiscal independence, regulatory oversight, and election authority. Utah has a Republican trifecta, with Republican control of the governor’s office, state senate, and state house. Below are the federalism-related…
Utah is the first state to enact a statewide prohibition on drinking water fluoridation. Gov. Spencer Cox (R) signed the legislation, House Bill 81 (HB 81), on March 27, 2025. While Utah is the first state to enact a statewide ban, voters in four states—Utah, South Dakota, Oregon, and Washington—considered ballot measures related to water…
The number of certified ballot measures for 2025 and 2026 is trending above the average as of March 18, 2025. For 2025, six statewide ballot measures have been certified in three states—Louisiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Six is one more than the average of five for this point in an odd-numbered-year election cycle since 2010. For…
The Utah State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment on March 7, 2025, regarding constitutional amendment publication requirements to the ballot for Nov. 3, 2026. In Utah, the existing publication requirement for a constitutional amendment requires each measure to be published for two months in at least one newspaper in every county in the state. The…