The Need for Redistricting Reform

• 71% of Utah voters gave legislature a grade of C or worse when it failed to enact redistricting reform. (March 2009)
• Reagan warned Americans in 1989 about the conflict of interest legislators have in drawing their own districts. Read More.
• “Utah’s GOP lawmakers perpetuated a ‘scam’ that resulted in ‘disenfranchisement’ of Beehive State voters.” (Editorial, Wall Street Journal, 2001)
• Voter turnout in UT declined 5.6% from 2004 to 2008, the largest drop in the nation. UT has the second worst voter turnout in the nation. Surrounding states that enacted redistricting reform saw voter turnout increase.

• Many UT districts don’t correspond to existing municipal, political, cultural, economic and geographical boundaries. They combine rural and urban districts carve up small cities and divide counties.

• Surrounding states of AZ, MT, and ID all use independent commissions to draw redistricting maps. CO uses a political commission, with members drawn from both parties.

• Proposal endorsed by KSL, Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret News, Tooele Transcript, Logan Herald Journal News, Summit County, North Salt Lake, Sanpete County Council, Logan City Council, Grand County Council, AARP, NCJW, politicians of both parties, Southern UT Univ. Campus Libertarians, Utah Citizens’ Counsel, UT League of Independent Voters, UT Democratic Party

What Fair Boundaries Proposes:

• 11 member independent commission
• No more than 4 members from same political party
• Anti-gerrymandering standards
• Open, transparent process
• Appointments by Utah Association of Counties, Utah League of Cities & Towns, and State School Board
• 4 citizen applicants selected by first 7 appointees
• Decennial requirement for redistricting (following census)
• Neutral scoring matrix for map analysis
• Map recommendation to legislature for reapportionment