When the Numbers Matter Most: What Utah’s Referendum Taught Us About Data and Trust

This spring, one of the most closely watched political efforts in Utah wasn’t a campaign or a piece of legislation—it was a referendum. A group of public employees and supporters launched a signature drive to challenge a new law limiting collective bargaining rights. The effort drew statewide attention, with reporters and voters tracking its progress district by district.

But for many observers, the biggest challenge wasn’t the politics—it was the math.

Utah’s referendum process includes a unique requirement: supporters must collect enough valid signatures not just statewide, but in 15 of the state’s 29 Senate districts. Each district has its own threshold. Keeping up with which districts had met the bar—and how close others were—proved confusing for even seasoned political observers.

As the process unfolded, we began tracking the signature counts released by the Lieutenant Governor’s office. We built a spreadsheet that compared verified signature totals to the legal thresholds in each district, modeled potential rejection rates, and projected viability. The data was public, but we structured it in a way that helped reporters tell the story more clearly.

We weren’t part of the campaign itself. But over the course of several weeks, our work was cited in outlets like KSL, ABC4, Axios, and others. In a fast-moving environment, neutral and transparent data helped shape how the public understood the referendum’s status.

This isn’t a story about taking sides. It’s about the value of clarity.

In an age of polarization, good information is a public good. When civic processes become technical or opaque—as they often do—there’s a real risk of disengagement. People stop paying attention not because they don’t care, but because they don’t feel confident they understand what’s happening.

We saw the opposite during the referendum. Utahns followed along closely, asking smart questions and pressing for real-time updates. Reporters worked hard to explain the rules and get the numbers right. Our contribution was simple: use public data to make the picture clearer.

That kind of support doesn’t always make headlines. But it matters. As Utah continues to debate major issues—through legislation, referenda, or ballot initiatives—let’s make sure the facts are as accessible as the opinions. Transparency builds trust.

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Morgan May Public Affairs helps clients navigate policy, communications, and public trust moments like this one.
Learn more at morganandmay.com