How Utah Forward Priorities Work
What is a Priority, and how is it different from a traditional policy?
A priority is an important matter that should be addressed by our elected officials. This is different from a policy, which is a proposed solution for a priority. Party policies are often enshrined in a party’s platform document.
The Forward Party is not just a new political party. It's a new definition of what a party is supposed to be. Instead of assuming the best approach is through a top-down platform document, Utah Forwardists identify their priorities for themselves. The Party organizes open discussion around possible solutions, and candidates present their plans to address those priorities.
This approach accomplishes two important things:
- It opens up the field to a range of propositions which encourages open debate and data-driven solutions.
- It forces candidates to articulate a clear plan to address each priority. Voters can then compare competing candidates using our priorities as a measuring stick.
Priorities are also different from values (read about ours here). Values are abstract, common-sense tenets we try to adhere to, whereas priorities are more specific to the issues.
How Priorities are identified
Members of the community submit priorities. The priorities with the most votes at our Convention are designated as “top priorities.” On an ongoing basis, the Forward Party will dedicate its efforts to identifying common ground solutions to the top priorities. This is a new process which we expect to improve over time.
Here are the the steps:
- Utah Forwardists submit their priorities via a form once the submission window opens (before the annual Convention).
- The Priorities Committee compiles the priorities into a comprehensive list. This will include merging similar suggestions and standardizing language. The Committee will exclude incendiary submissions that are deemed not to be in line with Forward's value of Grace and Tolerance.
- Participants at the state convention will use Approval Voting to vote for all of the proposed priorities they believe should be priorities for the coming year.
- Any priority approved by at least 50% will be included on the published list of Utah Priorities.
- The priorities that receive the most votes will be identified as our top priorities.
2026 Top Priorities
Top Priorities are defined as those that received 2/3 vote at convention.
Affordable Housing
The rising cost of buying and renting homes in Utah, and what policies might help make housing more available and affordable — especially for first-time buyers and lower-income residents.
Election Reform & Voting Systems
How Utah conducts its elections, including proposals for new voting methods like ranked-choice or approval voting, opening primary elections to all voters, protecting mail-in voting, and ensuring that people outside the two major parties have a meaningful voice.
Redistricting & Gerrymandering
How political district boundaries are drawn in Utah, whether that process is fair and independent, and the ongoing disputes over congressional and state legislative maps.
Separation of Powers & Judicial Independence
Whether Utah's three branches of government maintain their proper independence from one another, including recent legislative efforts to reshape the state court system after rulings the legislature disagreed with.
Water Conservation & the Great Salt Lake
The future of the Great Salt Lake and what its lake levels mean for the region's health, environment, and economy, alongside broader questions about how Utah manages our water supply through drought, agricultural use, and growth.
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2026 Priorities
Priorities are defined as those that received 1/2 vote at convention.
Air Quality
Air pollution levels across Utah, particularly along the Wasatch Front, and the steps our government can take to protect public health by improving the air we breathe.
Campaign Finance & Lobbying Reform
The influence of money and special interests on politics, including how campaigns are funded, how lobbyists operate, and what rules should govern the financial relationships between elected officials and outside groups.
Education Funding & Reform
How Utah's public schools are funded and structured, including debates over school choice, funding fairness between districts, teacher pay and retention, special education, and how schools should prepare students for a world increasingly shaped by AI.
Government Transparency & Ethics
Whether our government operates openly and honestly, including requirements for public disclosure, ethical standards for officials, and systems for catching and addressing corruption.
Healthcare Affordability & Access
The cost of healthcare and who can get it, including gaps in coverage for people who are retired, low-income, or between jobs, and what policy options exist to broaden access.
Immigration Policy
How our federal and state governments handle immigration, including legal pathways to residency and citizenship, Utah's role in enforcement, and how immigrants and asylum seekers are treated under current policy.
Social Safety Net & Human Services
The public programs that support vulnerable Utahns — including Medicaid, food assistance, childcare, senior services, homeless services, mental health care, and foster care — and how well those programs are funded and functioning.
Urban Planning, Infrastructure & Transportation
How Utah manages growth, including zoning, public transit, road and school infrastructure, walkable neighborhoods, and long-term planning — including preparations for the 2034 Winter Olympics.
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2026 Convention Vote Results
125 votes were counted. Two additional paper ballots were cast provisionally, but were not counted, as the difference in their counting would not have changed the final results.
