Utah has a strong history of women’s political and civic involvement. The state was an early leader in giving women the vote, was home to the first female state senator in the nation, and, as recently as 1996, had the strongest women’s voter participation in the United States. However, these factors do not give the full picture, and in 2015 the Institute for Women’s Policy Research ranked Utah dead last in the area of political participation. Much of this ranking was due to the lack of women running for and serving in public office, which we will address in a future Research & Policy Brief, but Utah women’s voter ranking and some aspects of civic involvement also have room for improvement. 

This research snapshot focuses on three key areas: 

1) Utah women’s voting participation rates and national ranking when it comes to voter turnout,

2) Utah women’s policy priorities, compared with those of Utah men and women nationwide, and 

3) Utah women’s levels of civic and community  engagement, focusing on volunteer work but also exploring other ways Utah women are involved  in their communities.