Voting & Elections

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

Checking the Box: The Latest on How Utahns Vote

Written by: Shawn Teigen

VOTING IS BACK IN THE HEADLINES. In September, the Count My Vote campaign renewed its voter ballot initiative to eliminate Utah’s unique election nomination system. Meanwhile, another group is collecting signatures for an initiative that would require the creation of an independent commission to draw future voting districts. In 2015, Utah Foundation released a report on partisan politics entitled “Voting in Utah,” analyzing the state’s current voting processes and future options for Utah voters. This … Continued

Utah Priorities 2016, Issue #8: Partisan Politics

Written by: Christopher Collard

Partisan politics appeared as a Utah Priorities Project topic for the first time in 2012. That year, over 50% of Democratic and Independent voters identified partisan politics as a concern. This year, partisan politics maintained the eighth position on the priority list. Like 2012, 2016 is a big year for elections, both locally and nationally. The timing of the Utah Priorities Project survey could have impacted responses. The survey was administered prior to the party … Continued

2016 Utah Priorities Project: Survey of State Party Delegates (Part III)

Written by: Mallory Bateman

The 2016 election cycle is the first impacted by changes to the candidate nomination process as a result of Senate Bill 54, passed in 2014. Since a 2016 court ruling deems that the legislation was constitutional, this new process might reduce the concern that some have regarding the differences between voters and delegates. Utah Foundation performs the Utah Priorities Project each gubernatorial election year. This is the third time that the project includes a survey … Continued

2016 Utah Priorities Project: Gubernatorial Candidate Report (Part II)

Written by: Mallory Bateman

For more information and explanation of the ideological section methodology, see Part I: Survey of Voters’ Issues and Concerns. To explore the data in more depth, please visit the Utah Priorities Project page.   The presidential race is not the only high-profile race this election season. In 2016, Utah will also vote for governor from a pool of 11 candidates. This report – Part II of the Utah Priorities Project – is a useful tool … Continued

Voting in Utah: Analyzing Current Practices and Future Options for Utah Voters

Written by: Mallory Bateman

Voter registration and participation has been on the decline in Utah in the past several decades. Although some aspects of Utah’s political arena such as the number of competitive races and the caucus-convention system are not easy for policy professionals to tackle, other aspects regarding voter registration and methods of voting are. This report examines strategies and programs that Utah is currently implementing – either permanently or as a pilot project. Research shows that employing … Continued

Millennials and Boomers: Politics and Society (Part IV)

Written by: Mallory Bateman

PART IV: POLITICS AND SOCIETY (See Part I: Demographics, Part II: Finances and Workplace Preferences, and Part III: Housing) Increased voter turnout in the 2008 presidential election helped create movement around understanding younger voters, who in previous election cycles had been thought of as an inactive group. National research has painted Millennials as a socially-conscious generation who do not identify with the two major parties. These attributes are influenced by their goals and values in … Continued

Utah Priorities 2012, Issue #8: Partisan Politics

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

In 2012, voters listed partisan politics as the 8th most important priority in the election year. This policy brief discusses party polarization over time at the national level, and party dominance at the state level. It also examines Utah’s declining voter turnout rates, and explores various explanations for this trend.

Partisan Politics, Polarization, and Participation

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

In the 2012 Utah Priorities Survey, respondents listed partisan politics as one of their top concerns for the upcoming elections.  This is significant not only because it was the first time this issue had been listed as a top-ten concern in this series of surveys, but also the first time it was seen as a concern at all.  An additional area of concern that may be affected by partisan politics is Utah’s declining voter turnout … Continued