Utah State Flag Referendum (2024)

Utah State Flag Referendum
Election date November 5, 2024
Topic Motto and symbols
Status Not on the ballot
Type Referendum	Origin Citizens

The Utah State Flag Referendum was not on the ballot in Utah as a veto referendum on November 5, 2024.

The referendum would have repealed Senate Bill 31 (SB 31), passed during the 2023 legislative session, which created a new state flag. Utah Governor Spencer Cox (R) signed the bill on March 21, 2023, which was set to take effect on March 9, 2024.

The historic state flag and the new 2024 flag are shown below.

Historic Flag of Utah: Flag of Utah (effective in 2024):

Text of measure

The full text of the bill against which the referendum was filed can be found here.

Background

Veto referendum ballot measures in Utah

See also: List of veto referendum ballot measures

A veto referendum is a type of citizen-initiated ballot measure that asks voters whether to uphold or repeal a law passed by the state legislature. The veto referendum ballot measure is also known as a popular referendum, people's veto, or citizen's veto. Utah is one of 23 states that have a process for veto referendums.

Four veto referendums have appeared on the ballot in Utah: two in 1954, one in 1975, and most recently in 2007. In all cases, the referendum efforts resulted in the targeted law being repealed.

In Utah, bills passed by the state legislature can be put before voters through a veto referendum petition.

• Signature requirement: 8 percent of registered voters on January 1 after the previous general election
• Result of a yes vote: targeted law upheld
• Result of a no vote: targeted law repealed
• Does not allow for veto referendums on emergency legislation
• Successful veto referendum petitions suspend the targeted law until the election

Year	State	Subject	Measure	Outcome for target law
2007	Utah	Education	Referendum 1: School Vouchers	Repealed
1974	Utah	Property	Referendum 1: Land Use Act	Repealed
1954	Utah	Education	Referendum A: Abolishment of Carbon College	Repealed
1954	Utah	Education	Referendum B: Dixie, Snow and Weber Colleges as Private Organizations	Repealed

Mississippi State Flag Referendum, 2020

See also: Mississippi Ballot Measure 3, State Flag Referendum (2020)

In 2020, voters in Mississippi decided on a statewide ballot measure to select a new state flag. The measure was placed on the ballot by the Mississippi State Legislature. At the election on November 3, 2020, Mississippi voters were shown a colored picture of the new proposed state flag, named the In God We Trust Flag. Voters were able to vote either yes to adopt the new flag or no to oppose adopting the new state flag. Voters approved adopting the new state flag. If the new proposed flag had been rejected by voters, the Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag would have reconvened to design another flag and present it to voters at another election.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Utah

The state process

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 veto referendums, proponents must gather signatures equal to 8 percent of the total number of active voters.

The requirements to get a veto referendum certified for the 2024 ballot:

• Signatures: 134,298 valid signatures
• Deadline (2023 bills): The deadline to submit signatures was April 12, 2023, for bills passed by the regular session that adjourned on March 3, 2023.

Each signature is verified by the county clerks in the county where the signature was collected. After verification, the petition forms are delivered to the lieutenant governor, who counts the total number of certified signatures and declares the petition as either sufficient or insufficient.

Details about this initiative

• On March 2, 2023, the Utah legislature approved a new state flag design through Senate Bill 31. Jared Gans of The Hill wrote that "The new flag, if the bill is signed into law, will be divided into three sections. The top part is blue, the middle is white, and the bottom is red. The white area would be designed to appear as a mountain with five peaks, cutting into the blue area on top. A mostly blue hexagon would be placed in the middle of the white area, also cutting into the red area on the bottom. Inside the hexagon will be a yellow beehive and a white star. The beehive is meant to symbolize industry, community and the year 1847, when the first settlers reached modern-day Utah, according to the legislation."

• The group 2023 Utah Flag Referendum, filed the referendum on March 6, 2023. Signatures were due on April 12, 2023.

• On March 21, 2023, Governor Spencer Cox (R) signed Senate Bill 31 into law and signed an executive order to formalize the new state flag design. Cox said, "As governor, I am proud to issue today an executive order requiring that the current state flag be flown at the Capitol at all times and at all state buildings on certain holidays and special occasions. I am further requesting that, during an upcoming session, the Legislature amend SB 31 to require the historic state flag be flown above the new state flag when the two flags are flown together. This will ensure that the historic flag will remain a symbol of our history and strength."

• On April 13, 2024, the Lieutenant Governor's office stated that proponents submitted under 50,000 signatures and therefore did not qualify for the ballot.

• Senate Bill 31 was set to take effect on March 9, 2024.

See also

2024 measures

• 2024 ballot measures
• Motto and symbols on the ballot
• 2024 petition deadlines

Utah

• Utah ballot measures
• Utah initiative laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls
• Ballot measure signature costs

External links

• Utah 2024 Initiative Filings
• Referendum application and full text
• Signature determination letter