For almost a decade, Utahns have been fighting for fair voting maps and fair representation. Yet, every time Utah voters score a victory in this fight, a new hurdle materializes that prevents these efforts from moving forward in time for the next election.
As we get closer to the 2026 midterm elections, Campaign Legal Center is continuing to fight on behalf of our clients and Utah voters to get these legal efforts over the finish line.
How did we get here?
In 2018, Utahns voted to pass Proposition 4, a ballot initiative that established the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission (URIC), and included a set of neutral criteria that all redistricting maps in Utah must follow. Proposition 4 also banned partisan gerrymandering.
Despite this voter-led victory, in 2020, the Utah Legislature overruled the will of voters by repealing Proposition 4 and passing its own gerrymandered map.
So, Campaign Legal Center, on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Utah (LWVUT), Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG), and several individual voters, sued to reinstate Proposition 4 and challenge the unfair map.
What’s happening now?
Following a series of court rulings and multiple victories for Campaign Legal Center and our clients, LWVUT and MWEG, on August 25, the District Court ruled that the Legislature violated the Utah Constitution when it repealed Proposition 4.
Because of this unconstitutional repeal, the District Court ruled that Proposition 4 is once again the law in Utah, and a new congressional map must be drawn to comply.
Instead of simply complying with Proposition 4, the Legislature passed a new law that changed Proposition 4 to reverse-engineer standards that will greenlight a biased congressional map that violates Proposition 4.
The same day the Legislature passed this new law, Campaign Legal Center filed a supplemental complaint challenging this latest unconstitutional attempt to end-run around Proposition 4’s critical reforms.
The plaintiffs also submitted to the District Court two map submissions that follow all the standards and requirements in Proposition 4. Map 1 comes from a set of 10,000 maps produced by an algorithm programmed to follow Proposition 4’s criteria. Map 2 is a “least change” map that alters the Legislature’s map to bring in into compliance with Proposition 4.
No partisan data was used to create either map, and both maps contain only one municipal split — improving on the Legislature’s map.
What’s next for Utah’s congressional map?
The work to defend Utahns’ right to a fair and representative government will continue to move forward.
On October 17, Plaintiffs will submit briefs and expert reports in support of the map submission, and on October 23 and 24, the District Court will hold an evidentiary hearing. A new map will be in place by November 10, 2025.
Campaign Legal Center will continue to fight alongside our clients to achieve fair voting maps, because voters should choose their politicians, and not the other way around.
And we also will continue to advocate for Congress to pass a nationwide solution prohibiting partisan gerrymandering and mandating fair congressional districts in all states.
Support us as we continue our work to ensure that all Americans can vote under fair maps.
