The Utah Supreme Court on Monday denied the state legislature’s push to keep its congressional map in place for the 2026 midterm elections, upholding a lower court order that lawmakers must present a new map by Sept. 25.
A district court ruled last month that the state’s current map was unconstitutionally drawn by the Republican-controlled state legislature and violated the redistricting reforms voters approved. The Utah Supreme Court’s ruling upheld the lower court’s ruling.
“Their complaints about the remedial process do not demonstrate that the court’s denial of the stay order is legally wrong or that the court otherwise abused its discretion. Without that, they have not shown why they should receive the extraordinary relief they seek here,” the order said.
In 2018, voters passed Proposition 4, or the Better Boundaries initiative, which mandated that congressional districts be drawn by an independent redistricting commission and could not favor one party.
Legislators then repealed that in 2020 and adopted the current congressional map, which splits up Salt Lake County, a Democratic stronghold, into four congressional districts, effectively diluting Democratic votes.
The lower court reinstated Proposition 4 when it ordered the legislature to draw a fair map.
REDISTRICTING WARS THREATEN TO MAKE CONGRESS MORE PARTISAN
The court order requires the legislature to draft a new map by Sept. 25, give 10 days for public comment, and adopt the new map in a special session by Oct. 6.
Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, a Republican, said a new map must be in place by Nov. 10 to prepare for the 2026 midterm elections.