Utah's Redistricting Drama: Why One Small City is Divided Among Four Congressional Districts

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MILLCREEK, Utah () The suburban city of Millcreek, with a population of 65,000, has become a focal point in Utah’s ongoing dispute over partisan redistricting. This small community, located just southeast of Salt Lake City, is uniquely divided among all four of the state’s congressional districts.

This peculiar division in Millcreek underscores the challenges Utah faces in adopting the nonpartisan redistricting maps that voters demanded years ago.

Back in 2018, Utah residents passed a ballot initiative calling for nonpartisan congressional maps. However, those voter-approved boundaries have yet to be put into practice.

The city’s partitioning allows Millcreek residents to traverse multiple congressional districts simply by frequenting local businesses.

Voters approved nonpartisan maps in 2018, still not implemented

For instance, a drive-in restaurant is found within Utah’s 4th Congressional District, while a 7-Eleven located just across the street belongs to the 3rd District. A Starbucks on a nearby corner is part of the 2nd District, and driving just a mile and a half east takes you into the 1st District.

“It comes down to how you’re represented,” said Elizabeth Rasmussen, executive director of Better Boundaries, a group advocating for redistricting reform. “If the boundaries are drawn in such a way that your voice can’t be heard, that’s a problem.”

The Republican-controlled legislature drew maps that dispersed Democratic voters across multiple districts, a practice critics call gerrymandering.

Critics say gerrymandering dilutes Democratic voter representation

A’Lissa Olson, a Millcreek voter and member of Mormon Women for Ethical Government, called it “a blatant attempt to try to diminish the vote of our community.”

However, Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini sees an advantage in the unusual arrangement, noting that having four congressional representatives gives the city more opportunities to lobby for federal grants and secure letters of recommendation for funding applications.

Millcreek residents have taken to social media to highlight their redistricting predicament, creating Instagram videos documenting journeys through all four congressional districts within city limits.

The state legislature faces a Nov. 10 deadline to produce maps complying with the voter-approved law.