The Utah Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a lawsuit alleging gerrymandering in the state’s congressional districting can move forward.
In 2018, Utahns passed a ballot initiative that created an independent redistricting commission for the 2021 redistricting, a process that happens once a decade after the census.
The Legislature altered the initiative to give themselves final say over the maps and relegate the independent commission to an advisory role, drawing their own political maps instead of using one of the 12 maps drawn by the commission.
In 2022, the League of Women Voters, Mormon Women for Ethical Government, and several Utahns sued the Legislature, alleging they acted unconstitutionally by ignoring the will of voters. They also claimed the current maps gerrymandered Democratic voters by splitting Salt Lake County between four congressional districts.
A district court refused to consider the lawsuit’s claim that the Legislature ignored the will of voters, asserting that the Legislature has the authority to amend ballot initiatives.
The plaintiffs challenged this ruling, taking it to the Utah Supreme Court. After a year of hearing oral arguments, the five justices unanimously ruled Thursday in favor of the plaintiffs.
The Court ruled that the Legislature's authority to amend ballot initiatives is limited, because Utahns have constitutional protections from amendments or replacements that “impair the reform” enacted by the people.
The ruling doesn’t necessarily mean maps will be redrawn; instead, the lawsuit now returns to the Third District Court where the constitutionality of the maps will be decided.
If the lower courts rule in favor of the plaintiffs again, it would require an independent redistricting commission to redraw districts in the state ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
