Voting & Elections

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

The 2012 Utah Priorities Survey of Party Delegates and Voters

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

As part of the 2012 Utah Priorities Project, Utah Foundation and the Hinckley Institute of Politics have surveyed Utah voters and delegates to the major parties’ state conventions.  This survey was conducted for the first time in 2010, showing distinct differences between party delegates and voters, with delegates usually taking more zealous positions than their parties’ voters.  The 2012 survey also shows differences between voters and delegates, but those differences are not as pronounced as … Continued

Utah Priorities Gubernatorial Survey: A Comparison of Candidates’ and Voters’ Top Priorities for 2012

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

Utah Foundation recently released The 2012 Utah Priorities Survey, which provides a summary of the findings of a statewide Dan Jones & Associates survey assessing which issues are most important this election year and how voters feel about Utah’s economy, society and politics.  For the first time, Utah Foundation also requested that the gubernatorial candidates complete part of this survey.  All of the Republican and Democratic candidates and two of three third-party candidates completed the … Continued

The 2012 Utah Priorities Survey: The Top Issues and Concerns of Utah Voters for the 2012 Election

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

In this election year, Utahns are more confident that the state is heading in the right direction than they were two years ago. However, they are still not as confident as they were in the 2004 and 2008 elections.  Their concerns about issues like jobs and the economy, public education, and healthcare remain strong.  Some issues that were important in the 2010 election, such as ethics of elected officials, states’ rights vs. the federal government, … Continued

Nominating Candidates: The Politics and Process of Utah’s Unique Convention and Primary System

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

For most of its history, Utah has used a convention-primary system to nominate candidates for elected office. In the spring of general election years, citizens in small caucus meetings held throughout the state elect delegates to represent them at county and state conventions. At the state conventions, delegates nominate candidates to compete for their party’s nomination in the primary election, or, if a candidate receives enough votes, they receive the nomination outright and proceed straight … Continued

The 2010 Utah Priorities Fall Survey: Voters’ Preferences for Candidates and Policy Solutions

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

The purpose of this Utah Priorities Survey is to delve deeper on five critical policy issues to better understand voters’ preferences surrounding the most often discussed solutions. Voters were surveyed about K-12 education, economy and jobs, immigration, government spending, and states’ rights. The survey also asked voters about whom they plan to vote for in the upcoming election.

The 2010 Utah Priorities Survey of Party Delegates and Voters

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

As part of the 2010 Utah Priorities Project, Utah Foundation, KSL Television and Radio, Deseret News, and the Hinckley Institute sponsored a ground-breaking survey of Utah voters and delegates to the major party conventions. The survey shows distinct differences between party delegates and voters, with delegates usually taking more zealous positions than their party’s voters. The strongest distinctions are, as expected, between the two major parties. The survey also provides insight on Republican delegates’ opinions … Continued

The 2010 Utah Priorities Survey: The Top Issues and Concerns of Utah Voters for the 2010 Election

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

In this special election year, Utahns are less confident that the state is heading in the right direction than they were two years ago. Their concerns about some issues, like energy and transportation, have eased since 2008. However, other issues are now of greater concern, including the economy, government spending, the ethics of elected officials, and states’ rights versus the federal government.

The Electoral College: An Historical Overview

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

Since the presidential election of 7 November 2000 the nation has been focused in on the events in Florida regarding the counting and recounting of the election ballots. The reason for the keen interest is that the outcome of the presidential election hangs in the balance.

Utah Ballot Propositions, Initiatives and Referendums

Written by: Stephen Hershey Kroes

On 7 November 2000, Utahns will have the opportunity to vote for president of the United States, candidates for all three seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, one U.S. Senate seat, governor, all seats in the state House of Representatives, one half of the state Senate, Salt Lake County mayor, and numerous county commission seats. In addition, voters throughout the state will vote on two propositions and two initiatives as well. In the Salt … Continued