Utah Forward Party Conducts First-Ever State-Level Approval Voting Election to Fill Senate Vacancy

Historic Utah Special Election for Senate District 11 uses Approval Voting, offering a real-world case study for alternative election methods.

SALT LAKE, UT, UNITED STATES, December 9, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Center for Election Science (CES), a national nonpartisan nonprofit focused on voting reform, supports the Utah Forward Party and State Senator Daniel Thatcher’s decision to use Approval Voting for a special election to fill the remainder of Senator Thatcher’s term in Senate District 11. This marks the first known instance of Approval Voting being used in a state-government-level election in the United States.

Senator Thatcher announced his resignation in October and insisted that his constituents use an alternative voting method to select his replacement. The election is being held from December 5-12, allowing registered voters in Senate District 11, regardless of party affiliation, to participate.

Mechanism and Administration
The election features five candidates. Voters are instructed to approve (vote for) as many of the five candidates as they wish. The candidate who receives the highest total number of approvals will be declared the winner.

The election is being conducted through secure online voting at 11chooses.com, with in-person voting options also available. The winning candidate will be announced on December 12 and subsequently sent to Governor Spencer Cox for appointment.

Voting Method Innovation
CES advocates for Approval Voting as an election method that aims to mitigate common issues in elections, such as vote-splitting among similar candidates. Proponents of Approval Voting suggest that it strengthens the viability of independent and third-party candidates by allowing voters to support multiple options without fear of inadvertently helping a least-preferred candidate.

"This election serves as a yet another practical demonstration of Approval Voting in a state-level context and is an important case study, offering key insights into its operational functionality and administrative feasibility when utilized with multiple candidates." said Nina Taylor, CEO for the Center for Election Science.

Matt Koesters, Founder and President of Fortify Democracy, commented on the significance of the election: "By enabling voters to support multiple candidates, this election may better reflect the will of the voters. It offers structural insight into how election design can influence outcomes and voter participation.”

The organizers noted that the election is the largest primarily-digital vote for an elected official in U.S. history. Full candidate profiles and details on the administration process are available at 11chooses.com.

Key Election Details (December 5-12)
Who Can Vote: All registered voters in Utah Senate District 11, regardless of party affiliation.
Voting Method: Approval Voting (voters may approve as many of the five candidates as they want).
Goal: The candidate with the highest total number of approvals wins.
Announcement: Winner to be announced on December 12.

About the Center for Election Science
The Center for Election Science (CES) is a national, nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing evidence-based voting methods to strengthen democracy. CES works with communities and policymakers to educate, advocate, and implement voting systems that improve voter representation and election administration.

Nina Taylor
The Center for Election Science
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