A man submits his ballot at a drop box at the Salt Lake County government building in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015. Chris Samuels, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — When you receive your ballot in the mail in Utah, starting as soon as this week, in addition to making a decision on who to vote for for president, governor, Congress and attorney general, you’ll also see seven proposed amendments to the Utah State Constitution.
The amendments also referred to as ballot measures, are modifications to the state Constitution proposed by the state legislature. They are written, often, to alter existing policy, language, and/or timeframes. After that, voters weigh in on the proposed amendments, deciding if the state should adopt the alteration to the Constitution.
This year, Utah voters will see seven constitutional amendments outlined on the ballot, labeled A-G. Here they are:
Shall the Utah Constitution be amended to change words that apply to a single-gender (such as the word “men”) to words that are not limited to a single-gender (such as the word “persons”)?
When constitutional amendments were first drafted, it was common to use single-gender words. This amendment would change all single-gender language written in the Utah Constitution to gender-neutral. It would remove the words “he, his, and him” and replace it with a non-gendered pronoun like “person” or “the person.”
If approved by voters, the language modification would take effect Jan. 1, 2021. Additionally, the ballot states Amendment A has no fiscal impact, costing the state nothing to establish.
Read more about Amendment A here.
Shall the Utah Constitution be amended to specify that certain requirements that a person must meet to be eligible for the office of senator or representative in the Utah Legislature apply at the time the person is elected or appointed?
This amendment would require all those running to be a representative or senator in the state of Utah to meet certain qualifications before taking office. Candidates may complete the qualifications at any point up until they take office.
These qualifications include:
It also states the lawmaker must give up their seat once they are no longer live in the district they represent.
If approved by voters, the rule would take effect Jan. 1, 2021.
Read more about Amendment B here.
Shall the Utah Constitution be amended to make the following changes to the Utah Constitution’s ban on slavery and involuntary servitude:
Currently, the Utah Constitution bans the use of slavery and involuntary labor except when someone has been convicted of a crime. This amendment would remove the exception allowing slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime.
The ballot states the measure would not alter the use of lawful work within Utah’s criminal justice system. This will not impact how a judge sentences a person or a convicted person’s ability to participate in prison/jail work programs.
If approved by voters, it will take effect Jan. 1, 2021. There are no fiscal resources needed to implement the change.
Read more about Amendment C here.
Shall the Utah Constitution be amended to:
The Utah Constitution states municipalities (cities and towns) cannot sell or dispose of their water rights or sources of water supply, such as wells, springs, or streams. Municipalities must use their water supply for their own residents. However, it doesn’t specify if one city can trade water supply and resources of equal value with another city.
This amendment would rewrite the provision of Utah’s Constitution dealing with a municipality’s water rights and sources of water supply. It would allow the municipality to draw its own supply border and set water terms for services in the area.
Read more about Amendment D here.
Shall the Utah Constitution be amended to:
This ballot measure would add a section to Utah’s Constitution to protect a resident’s right to hunt and fish, including traditional methods used for hunting and fishing. Additionally, the amendment prioritizes public hunting and fishing as the preferred way of controlling and managing wildlife. Amendment E would also establish hunting and fishing regulations.
The amendment would not impact property or trespassing rights nor would it affect Utah’s authority in land management and resources.
If passed by voters, Amendment E would take effect Jan. 1, 2021.
Read more about Amendment E here.
Shall the Utah Constitution be amended to:
The Utah Consitution currently requires the start of the state’s annual legislative session to begin on the fourth Monday in January. The State Constitution also says the session can not exceed 45 calendar days, excluding federal holidays but not state holidays.
Amendment F would change the start date of the Utah Legislature from the fourth day in January to a date voted on by lawmakers. Additionally, the ballot amendment would exclude state holidays from counting towards the 45-day session.
Read more about Amendment F here.
Shall the Utah Constitution be amended to expand the uses of money the state receives from income taxes and intangible property taxes to include supporting children and supporting people with a disability?
First, an intangible property tax refers to personal property such as stocks, bonds, patents and copyrights. Currently, in the Constitution, income tax paid or taxes from intangible property to the state must only be used to fund education. The state requires residents to pay income tax but a not intangible property tax.
This ballot amendment would change the Constitution to allow the state to use money from income taxes or intangible property tax to fund children and those with disabilities.
The amount of money the state decides to allocate to children and persons with disabilities will be based on a vote from the Utah Legislator.
If approved, the amendment will take effect on Jan. 1, 2021.
Read more about Amendment G here.
You must be a registered voter in Utah to vote on any of the amendments on the ballot.
There is still time to register to vote if you haven’t! You can register to vote online until Oct. 23 at 5 pm. Visit here to register and to check your voter registration to make sure it’s up to date.
Here’s where to look at the issues on the ballot impacting each county and district, including candidate information.