By Robert Gherke | The Salt Lake Tribune 

A vote on whether to repeal a law banning public employee unions from negotiating contracts with their government employers won’t be on the ballot until Nov. 3, 2026, Gov. Spencer Cox announced Monday.

The governor had the option of calling a special election to put it before voters during municipal elections this November, but that would have come with some additional costs and logistical challenges.

In 2023, when the state had a special election to replace retiring 2nd Congressional District Rep. Chris Stewart, lawmakers allocated $2.5 million to cover the extra costs.

While many cities and towns have elections this November, some races are not contested — in Salt Lake City, for example, just four of the seven council districts are up — and voters in unincorporated areas of counties would not normally vote in those elections either.

Holding the vote in 2025, however, could have been beneficial for some lawmakers by ensuring that they would not be up for reelection at the same time as the vote on whether to repeal the anti-labor bill, Utah State University political scientist Damon Cann said recently.

The referendum could drive voter turnout and impact the outcome in swing districts.

Read more at SLTrib.com.

This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.