The Utah Foundation’s second major report of the Utah Priorities Project finds that Utahns are polarized – but unite on numerous issues that matter most. These include:
- The Importance of K-12 education.
- Wise water stewardship.
- Curbing government overreach.
- Access to affordable housing.
Other key findings include:
- Utahns often disagree on the importance of abortion and women’s issues, transgender rights and access, and appropriate stewardship of the Great Salt Lake.
- Utah has a layered partisan landscape. In 2020, 61% of voters voted Republican in national and statewide elections. However, 53% of voters are registered as Republicans, and only 36% of voters self-identify with the Republican party.
- Fewer voters register as “independent” while more self-identify as “independents.” Since 2014, the share of independent or unaffiliated registered voters has fallen from 42% to 29%. However, since 2012, the share of voters who self-identify as independent or unaffiliated has grown from 31% to 43%.
- Utah Democrats and unaffiliated voters tend to be more consistently liberal than their national counterparts. Republicans appear to have a similar ideology to their national counterparts.
