Voting & Elections

A Tale of Two Ballots: Comparing Ranked-Choice and Simple-Plurality Voting in Utah

Written by: Staff

The Utah State Legislature authorized a pilot program allowing municipalities to use a ranked-choice process for municipal elections. That program sunsetted as of 2026. Is ranked-choice voting in Utah dead? At least for now. Nonetheless, A Tale of Two Ballots examines ranked-choice voting by comparing it with the typical simple-plurality voting. Ranked-choice voting has strengths and weaknesses, but less evidence supports its impact on election quality. RCV strengths: It allows voters to communicate more information … Continued

Partisan Lines: Where Utah’s Delegates and Voters Align and Diverge – 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: Shawn Teigen

The Utah political process includes the use of party delegates. Delegates are representatives chosen at a party caucus to represent voters. These delegates then choose party candidates at political party conventions. This report, Partisan Lines: Where Utah’s Delegates and Voters Align and Diverge, details party delegates’ survey responses to the 2024 Utah Priorities Project. By comparing responses to those of Utah voters, the reports seek to understand how voters and delegates are similar and different … Continued

On the Ballot: Constitutional Amendments

Written by: Staff

Voters need nonpartisan information to make informed decisions about hotly debated issues. The Utah Foundation report, On the Ballot: Constitutional Amendments, November 5, 2024, analyzes the four 2024 constitutional amendments. The report’s purpose is to inform voters of the substance of the amendments. The Utah Foundation – a nonpartisan, independent public policy research organization – takes no positions on any of them. Two amendments stand out as the most contentious. One of them, Amendment D, … Continued

Partisan Politics: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: Staff

Partisan politics ranked as an issue of high importance in the 2024 Utah Priorities Project. Utah voters generally agree that partisan politics is a big concern. This is perhaps in response to Utah voters of both political extremes tending to show strong feelings against the opposite group. Half of the Project’s survey respondents think the policies of the Republican party threaten the nation’s well-being and half of voters believe the Democratic party threatens it. One … Continued

Government Overreach: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: John Salevurakis

Government overreach is a new priority in 2024 for the Utah Priorities Project. Overreach can be defined as governmental interference in ways perceived as counterproductive or in matters outside governments’ defined limits at either local, state, or national levels. Government overreach may also be linked to a fundamental distrust of government and disagreement regarding what it should protect. Three in five voters consider government to be wasteful and inefficient. On top of that, nearly three … Continued

Politicians Not Listening to Voters: 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: John Salevurakis

“Politicians not listening to voters” is a top concern for Utahns in the 2024 Utah Priorities Project. Even if politicians “listen” to all voters, the voters might not feel heard if those elected officials vote in ways that do not represent an individual’s views. As a result, people might believe that politicians are not listening – even if they really are. This brief focuses on three Utah Priorities Project survey questions, including: Over 70% of … Continued

Priced Out and Fed Up: Cost of Living and Government Dysfunction are Voters’ Top Issues – 2024 Utah Priorities Project

Written by: Christopher Collard

Each November, Utahns have a chance to shape government to fit their needs. Ideally, the voters’ voices serve as a compass to correct the course of government and shape society. However, information gaps can preclude an ideal outcome. First, politicians and policymakers need to understand Utahns’ priorities. Second, voters need relevant background on the issues that matter most. The Utah Foundation’s Utah Priority Project seeks to fill those information gaps and provide that background. Priced … Continued

The Measure of a Citizen: Civic Engagement in Utah

Written by: Peter Reichard

UTAH SOCIAL CAPITAL SERIES Check out the other sections of the Utah Social Capital Series. Links will become live as reports are published Civic Engagement Social Trust Community Life Family Health Social Cohesion Focus on Future Generations Social Mobility Overall Index Social capital stands in the shadows of a wide variety of public policy and economic concerns. Low social capital levels often lead to poor economic and social outcomes, both for individuals and for populations. … Continued

On the Ballot: Constitutional Amendments, November 3, 2020

Written by: Shawn Teigen

INTRODUCTION The Utah Legislature referred seven proposed constitutional amendments to voters for the November 3, 2020 election. The amendments range in topics from modernizing language in the Utah Constitution to broadening how funds can be used from Utah’s Education Fund. The figure below provides a glimpse into whether there is opposition to each amendment. Four of the seven amendments are from resolutions that were supported unanimously on the House and Senate floors. One was unanimous … Continued

Lines in the Sand: A Primer on Redistricting in Utah

Written by: Christopher Collard

The U.S. Census Bureau began counting the country’s population early in 2020, but April 1 is officially Census Day. Every 10 years, as laid out in the Constitution, the U.S. apportions representatives among the states based on where residents live as of April 1.1 In turn, each state determines the district boundaries of the apportioned representatives. Utahns in 2018 passed Proposition 4, a ballot initiative creating an Independent Redistricting Commission to advise the state legislature … Continued