By McKenzie Romero | Editor
What do Park City, Provo, Cedar City, Blanding and Moab have in common? They’re all part of Utah’s new 3rd Congressional District, geographically one of the largest districts in the country.
With Election Day one week away, the representative elected to the expansive district will need to weigh the interests of rural farmers, posh ski resorts, suburban hubs and communities surrounding national parks.
In today’s Dispatch we join KUER and PBS for a tour of the biggest section of Utah’s new congressional map, and update you on Utah Valley University’s latest safety update after Charlie Kirk’s killing and Salt Lake County’s first chance for Saturday voting.
“When you really put the math to it, it would be nicer if that was chopped up — have a little more representatives, you know? I think Southern Utah has a different theory on life than people in Park City do.” — Will Talbot, sheep farmer and Republican Piute County commissioner, on the dynamics of Utah’s new CD3.
Sheep farmer and Republican Piute County Commissioner Will Talbot speaks while caring for his flock in September. (Hugo Rikard-Bell/KUER)
By Annie Knox
Representing Utahns in the state’s recently redrawn 3rd Congressional District is a job that’s hard to imagine even for veteran political scientists — and not just because of all the driving involved to get around a district covering half the state.
In the run up to the election, voters and local government officials across the district shared the Utah issues they want to take precedence in Washington, D.C., and the reservations they have about living in one of the nation’s most expansive congressional districts.
Law enforcement responds after conservative political commentator Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
By Annie Knox
Utah Valley University is bringing on a past leader of the state’s highway patrol to fill a new safety post after the assassination of Charlie Kirk on the campus last year.
Michael Rapich is taking the job at the university in Orem after 33 years with the Utah Highway Patrol, which he led for nine years before retiring in November 2025. The announcement comes a month after an outside review identified gaps in the university’s planning and protocols for Kirk’s event.
Voters wait in line on primary Election Day at the Salt Lake County Government Center on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (Photo by Marco Lozzi for Utah News Dispatch)
By Katie McKellar
Salt Lake County Clerk Lannie Chapman has announced that her office will offer early in-person voting for the first time on a Saturday, Halloween day.
Feel free to celebrate and wear your costume while voting — but leave any face coverings at home, the clerk's office said. More information about how to vote in the election, including voting locations and hours, ballot drop box locations, and ID requirements is available on the county’s website.
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