What are Utah’s geographic districts for future elections, including special elections in 2025 and the 2026 general election?
Now that the state Supreme Court has emphatically and unanimously upheld citizens’ “right to reform our government,” including protection of ballot initiatives from self-interested legislative power — specifically, but not limited to, Prop 4 of 2018 establishing the Independent Redistricting Commission — are the maps drawn by that commission based on the 2020 census now the law of the land?
The commission already did its homework and due diligence for this census cycle and should not be forced back to the drawing board before a constitutionally appropriate time for a new round of redistricting. We should already have had those maps in place for the 2022 elections and beyond.
It should have been obvious all along that an elected Legislature drawing its own maps informed by known community voting patterns is a glaring conflict of interest. The Legislature’s attempt to repeal the creation of the UIRC and the ensuing court case have been nothing more or less than a slap in the face to Utah citizens, a waste of time at the direct expense of well-intentioned public will across the political spectrum, and of many thousands of taxpayer dollars.
Our lawmaking bodies should already have been redrawn to elect a new Utah Legislature to represent and act for all of Utah better, without concern for incumbency. Thus, the current composition of the Legislature itself should have been ruled void and all seats vacant pending a special election based on those new maps.
The Utah Supreme Court should immediately take whatever steps are necessary to secure the fair maps Utah’s citizens have mandated — and it has upheld — for 2025 and beyond, and that the Independent Redistricting Commission is fully funded for all future redistricting.
Loren Carle, Salt Lake City
