Electoral reform in Utah includes legislative and procedural changes intended to modify the state's electoral processes. These reforms have addressed issues such as voter identification, ballot initiatives, voting methods, and election administration.
Women in the Utah Territory gained the right to vote in 1870, lost it under the federal Edmunds–Tucker Act in 1887, and regained it with statehood in 1896. [1] The Utah Constitutional Convention of 1895 included women's suffrage in the state constitution, making Utah one of the first US states to grant women the right to vote. [2]
Utah has taken an evolving approach to electoral processes, experimenting with voting methods and requirements.
The Count My Vote initiative of 2014 aimed to replace Utah's caucus system with a direct primary. A compromise led to Senate Bill 54, creating a dual-path system allowing candidates to qualify for the ballot via party conventions or signature gathering. This hybrid system remains in place, balancing traditional caucuses with broader voter participation. [3]
The Municipal Alternate Voting Methods Pilot Project, initiated by the Utah State Legislature in 2018 through HB35, permits municipalities to adopt Instant-runoff voting (IRV), also known as ranked-choice voting (RCV). [4] While initial adoption was limited, by 2021, 23 cities participated, [5] But due to administrative complexities and voter confusion, participation declined to 12 cities by 2023. [6] Utah legislators then introduced House Bill 176, titled Municipal Voting Methods Amendments, which proposed allowing municipalities to adopt approval voting as an alternative to RCV, citing its relative simplicity. As of May 2025, there has been no further action on the bill following referral to the House Rules Committee. [7]
In March 2025, Governor Spencer Cox signed into law House Bill 300, a measure aimed at modifying the state's postal voting procedures. The law
In 2018, Utah voters approved Proposition 4, establishing an independent redistricting commission to combat gerrymandering. The legislature later passed SB 200, modifying the proposition's provisions. In 2024, in League of Women Voters v. Utah State Legislature, the Utah Supreme Court ruled that the legislature could not unilaterally alter voter-approved initiatives, reinforcing the power of citizen initiatives. [10]
In 2025, the Utah State Legislature proposed two significant changes to the ballot initiative process:
In 2025, Utah lawmakers proposed significant changes to election oversight: