2018 Utah Proposition 4

Proposition 4

Utah Independent Redistricting Commission and Standards Act
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 512,218 50.34% No 505,274 49.66% Total votes 1,017,492 100.00%
Yes   50–60%   60–70% No   50–60%   60–70%

Utah Proposition 4 was a ballot measure narrowly approved as part of the 2018 Utah elections. The proposition created by statute an independent redistricting commission in the state, a measure to avoid gerrymandering.

Results

Proposal 2

Choice	Votes	%
Yes	512,218	50.34
No	505,274	49.66
Valid votes	1,017,492	93.95
Total votes	1,082,972	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	1,433,498	75.55

The proposal was approved narrowly, with 50.34% of the vote. The closeness of the result was hypothesized to be due to Republicans, the dominant party in Utah, voting against the proposition to maintain their total control over redistricting.

Aftermath and litigation

In 2020, the Utah legislature passed Senate Bill 200 which compromised positions between Better Boundaries Utah (the sponsor of the proposition) and the Utah legislature. The legislature then overrode the maps proposed by the commission, passing maps which significantly benefited Republican candidates at Democratic expense. In particular, the congressional map approved by the legislature redesigned the congressional representation of Salt Lake County, with all four districts extending from Salt Lake County to the rest of the state.

Senate Bill 200 was challenged in state court on the grounds that it had violated the voters' intent in voting for Proposition 4. On July 11, 2024, the Utah Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, ruling that the legislature had overstepped their constitutional authority in passing SB200. The case was remanded to lower court to rule on the merits of the proposition.