Utahns, CLC Say Misleading Ballot Language for Constitutional Amendment is Illegal
Salt Lake City, UT — Today, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) and a bipartisan group of Utah voters and organizations asked a district court to remove Constitutional Amendment D from Utahns’ ballots this November.
Utah’s Constitution requires that language on the ballot fairly and accurately describe the constitutional amendment being considered by voters. The language written by Utah’s legislative leaders to describe the proposed constitutional amendment does the opposite and is not only misleading and deceptive, but also illegal and unconstitutional.
“Utah politicians refuse to accept any check on their power. First, they overruled the will of the people by repealing Prop 4, and now they are trying to overrule the Utah Supreme Court. This eleventh hour push for an unnecessary constitutional amendment, along with the misleading language to deceive Utahns into voting for it, is yet another example of Utah politicians doing everything they can to take power away from the people and give it to themselves,” said Mark Gaber, senior director of redistricting at Campaign Legal Center. “The fight for fair maps should continue in court so Utahns can pick their politicians instead of the other way around.”
“The League of Women Voters has long advocated for a fair and transparent process that produces the most representative maps. While the Utah Supreme Court affirmed that the process was flawed, the legislature continues to fight against the will of the people, and insults the voter with ballot language that is both biased and self-serving,” said Katharine Biele, President of the League of Women Voters of Utah.
“Once again the Legislature has prioritized their own wishes above both their constitutional duties and their obligation to serve the people of Utah. The people of Utah deserve better and we will continue to advocate for long standing constitutional rights and freedoms,” said Emma Petty Addams, Co-Executive Director of Mormon Women for Ethical Government.
Background:
In 2018, Utahns exercised their right to reform their government by passing a bipartisan initiative, Prop 4, also known as “Better Boundaries.” This effort created the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) and banned partisan gerrymandering.
In response, in 2020 the Utah Legislature repealed Prop 4 and replaced it with SB 200, which gutted the key redistricting reforms in Prop 4, and enacted a congressional map that is an extreme partisan gerrymander, in direct contradiction to the will of the voters. Additionally, in 2023, Utah politicians attempted to raise the threshold for the passage of ballot initiatives from a simple majority to 60%.
After the Utah Supreme Court reaffirmed the rights of the people to alter or reform their government, and rejected the Legislature’s shameful disregard of the voters’ wishes, the Legislature is once again attempting to change the law to give themselves more power at the expense of the people. The deceptive ballot language and power-grabbing proposed amendment are just another attempt by Utah politicians to take the power that the constitution grants to the people.
CLC is representing the League of Women Voters of Utah (LWV Utah), Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG), and a bipartisan group of individual voters in the ongoing lawsuit.
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About Campaign Legal Center – The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center advances democracy through law. We safeguard the freedom to vote, defend voters’ right to know who is spending money to influence elections, and work to ensure public trust in our elected officials. Learn more about CLC.
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About League of Women Voters of Utah – LWVUT is a nonpartisan nonprofit membership organization located in Salt Lake City, Utah that is dedicated to empowering voters and defending democracy. LWVUT encourages active participation in government and works to increase its members and voters’ understanding of major public policy issues. For more information, please visit https://www.lwvutah.org.
About Mormon Women for Ethical Government – MWEG is a nonpartisan nonprofit membership organization based in Riverton, Utah. MWEG is guided by its four core attributes: to be faithful, nonpartisan, peaceful, and proactive. MWEG is dedicated to inspiring women of faith and of all political affiliations to be ambassadors of peace who transcend partisanship and advocate for ethical government. MWEG is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. https://www.mormonwomenforethicalgovernment.org.