Explainer
Constitutional Amendments
The Utah Constitution is the state's highest law. Changing it takes two big votes: two-thirds of the Utah Legislature, then a majority of the voters who answer the question on their ballots.
What A Constitutional Amendment Does
The Utah Constitution sets up state government, places limits on what that government can do, and lists the rights that every Utahn has. Every state law has to comply with those limits and protections. An amendment to the Utah Constitution changes its text, changing what the government can do or the rights that Utahns hold. Every Utah voters gets the same proposed amendments on their ballot, wherever they live, and decides whether the amendment should or should not be written into the Constitution.
How the Constitution Changes in Utah
The usual route for a proposed change to the Utah Constitution usually runs through the Legislature before reaching voters and takes effect in six steps.
A Legislator Proposes the Amendment
It starts as a joint resolution in the House or Senate.
Two-Thirds of the Legislature Votes Yes
That is two-thirds of all members elected, not just those present: at least 50 of 75 representatives in the Utah House and 20 of 29 senators in the Utah Senate.
The Amendment Skips the Governor
The amendment process in the constitution has no step required for the governor; he doesn't sign the proposed amendment and cannot veto it.
The Proposed Amendment Is Published
A short question describing the proposed amendment is written and it is published at least 60 days before the election, as the Utah Constitution requires.
Voters Decide
At the next general election, the proposed amendment passes if a majority of the voters who answer that question vote "FOR" the amendment.
The Constitution Changes
The amendment changes the Utah Constitution on the date written into the original resolution proposing the change.
Why Constitutional Amendments Matter
An ordinary Utah law can be changed during the next legislative session. A constitutional amendment can only be undone by another amendment, which means another two-thirds vote and another statewide election. Courts measure every Utah law and government action, so a few words added or removed can decide cases and individual rights for decades.
2/3
How Amendments Impact Utahns
Your Rights
The Constitution's Declaration of Rights is where many of Utahns' protections live.
Your Voice
The Constitution sets the rules for elections, citizen initiatives, and how laws get made.
Your Money
The Constitution sets rules for taxes, state spending, and government debt.
Your Government
The Constitution set up the courts, the Utah Legislature, and the offices that run the state.
Constitutional Amendments: Your Part
The same for everyone. Every Utah voter sees the same amendments, wherever they live.
For or against. Each amendment is listed with a short title and the question. You mark For or Against.
What it takes. It passes if a majority of the voters who answer it vote For.
If you skip it. The rest of your ballot still counts, but the decision on whether to change the Constitution goes to the voters who do answer.
Constitutional Amendment Z: Shall the Utah Constitution be amended to to change the day the Legislature's yearly session begins?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Utah citizens put an amendment on the ballot?
No. Usually the Legislature, by a two-thirds vote of each chamber, proposes to change the Utah Constitution. Citizen initiatives in Utah propose laws, not constitutional changes.
Is there any other way to change the constitution?
Yes. Two-thirds of the Utah House and Senate can ask voters whether to call a constitutional convention, a gathering of elected delegates who propose changes to the Utah Constitution. Anything a convention proposes also has to be approved by a majority of voters.
Does the governor sign amendments?
No. Once two-thirds of both the Utah House and Senate approve a proposed change to the Constitution, the amendment goes straight to voters.
Can a governor veto amendments?
No. Once two-thirds of both the Utah House and Senate approve a proposed change to the Constitution, the amendment goes straight to voters.
How many votes does an amendment need to pass?
A majority of the voters who answer that question. People who leave it blank are not counted either way.
What happens if I skip an amendment?
The rest of your ballot still counts. The amendment is decided only by the voters who answer it, which is why skipped questions hand the decision to everyone else who votes on it.
Can an amendment be undone?
Only by another amendment, which goes through the same two-thirds legislative vote and statewide election.
Does this guide take a position on amendments?
No. Better Utah Institute explains what a For and an Against would each do and takes no position.