The Establish the Congressional District Method for Presidential Elections Initiative may appear on the ballot in Utah as an initiated state statute on November 3, 2026.
The ballot initiative would require Utah to follow the congressional district method when assigning electoral votes to presidential candidates. As of 2025, Maine and Nebraska are the only two states in the country that employ the congressional district system.
Text of the measure
Full text
The full text of the ballot measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
Process in Utah
- See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Utah
An initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. There are 21 states that allow citizens to initiate state statutes, including 14 that provide for direct initiatives and nine (9) that provide for indirect initiatives (two provide for both). An indirect initiated state statute goes to the legislature after a successful signature drive. The legislatures in these states have the option of approving the initiative itself, rather than the initiative appearing on the ballot.
In Utah, the number of required signatures is tied to the number of active voters as of January 1 following the most recent regular general election. For directly initiated statutes, proponents must gather signatures equal to 8 percent of the total number of active voters. For directly initiated state statutes, signatures must be collected from each of at least 26 of the 29 Utah State Senate districts equal to 8 percent of active voters in the state as of January 1 of the year following the last regular general election.
State law establishes a final signature deadline for direct initiated state statutes as either 316 days after the initial initiative application was filed or February 15 of the election year, whichever is earlier. Moreover, signature petition sheet packets for direct initiatives must be submitted to county clerks on a rolling basis no more than 30 days after the first signature is added to the packet.
The requirements to get an initiated state statute certified for the 2026 ballot:
- Signatures: 140,748 valid signatures are required.
- Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures is February 15, 2026. An initiative also has a specific deadline 316 days following the initial application.
Stages of this ballot initiative
The following is the timeline of the initiative:[1]
- December 3, 2024: Three individuals, Jeffrey Myers, Nabil Risk, and Ryan Moran, signed and submitted the application for an initiative.
- March 12, 2025: The measure was filed as the "Earn My Elector Vote Initiative" by the secretary of state's office and cleared to begin gathering signatures.
How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Utah
See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Utah.
Poll times
Utah is an all-mail voting state that offers vote centers for voters that choose to vote in person. All vote centers are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. Utah voters are able to vote in person at any vote center. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[2]
Registration
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in Utah, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Utah for at least 30 days prior to the election, and at least 18 years old by the next general election. Pre-registration is available for 16- and 17-year-olds. 17-year-olds may vote in primary elections if they will turn 18 by the general election.[3] Registration can be completed online or by mailing in a form. The deadline to register online or by mail is 11 days before Election Day. After this deadline, voters may register in person at a vote center by casting a provisional ballot and providing two forms of identification.[4][3][5]
- See also: Automatic voter registration
Utah does not practice automatic voter registration.[6]
- See also: Online voter registration
Utah has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.
- See also: Same-day voter registration
Utah allows same-day voter registration at polling places during the 10 days preceding and on Election Day.[4][5]
Residency requirements
Prospective voters must be residents of the state for at least 30 days before the election.[4]
Verification of citizenship
- See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States
Utah does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a person who commits fraudulent registration is "guilty of a class A misdemeanor" under Utah Code 20A-2-401.[7]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[8] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The Utah lieutenant governor’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Voter ID requirements
Utah requires in-person voters to present non-photo identification while voting.[9]
The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2025. Click here for the Utah statute defining accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
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"Valid voter identification" means:
- a form of identification that bears the name and photograph of the voter which may include:
- a currently valid Utah driver license;
- a currently valid identification card issued under Title 53, Chapter 3, Part 8, Identification Card Act;
- a currently valid identification card that is issued by:
- the state; or
- a branch, department, or agency of the United States;
- a currently valid Utah permit to carry a concealed weapon;
- a currently valid United States passport; or
- a currently valid United States military identification card;
- one of the following identification cards, regardless of whether the card includes a photograph of the voter:
- a valid tribal identification card;
- a Bureau of Indian Affairs card; or
- a tribal treaty card; or
- two forms of identification not listed under Subsection (79)(a) or (b) but that bear the name of the voter and provide evidence that the voter resides in the voting precinct, which may include:
- before January 1, 2029, an original or copy of a current utility bill, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election;
- before January 1, 2029, an original or copy of a bank or other financial account statement, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election;
- a certified birth certificate;
- a valid social security card;
- an original or copy of a check issued by the state or the federal government, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election;
- an original or copy of a paycheck from the voter's employer, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election;
- a currently valid Utah hunting or fishing license;
- certified naturalization documentation;
- a currently valid license issued by an authorized agency of the United States;
- a certified copy of court records showing the voter's adoption or name change;
- a valid Medicaid card, Medicare card, or Electronic Benefits Transfer Card;
- a currently valid identification card issued by:
- a local government within the state;
- an employer for an employee; or
- a college, university, technical school, or professional school located within the state; or
- a current Utah vehicle registration.[9][10]
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See also
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- Ballot measure lawsuits
- Ballot measure readability
- Ballot measure polls
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External links
- ↑ Vote.Utah.gov, "Initiatives and Referenda," accessed April 16, 2025
- ↑ Utah State Legislature, “Utah Code 20A-1-302. Opening and closing of polls on election day.” accessed May 13, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Utah State Legislature, “Utah Code 20A-2-101. Eligibility for registration.” accessed May 13, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Utah Lieutenant Governor, “Welcome to the Utah Voter Registration Website,” accessed May 13, 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Utah State Legislature, “20A-2-207. Registration by provisional ballot.” accessed May 13, 2025
- ↑ NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed May 13, 2025
- ↑ Utah State Legislature, “Utah Code 20A-2-401. Fraudulent registration -- Penalty.” accessed May 13, 2025
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Utah State Legislature, "Utah Code 20A-1-102. Definitions." accessed October 9, 2025
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
