Civic Processes

Awareness & Understanding

Start by exploring how voting actually works in Utah. Watch the Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office videos at vote.utah.gov to see how ballots get counted and certified. Look up your current elected officials at all levels — city council, state legislature, and Congress — using ballotpedia.org. Notice that Salt Lake County uses vote-by-mail, so you probably already get a ballot at home. Write down three things you didn't know about Utah's voting system before you started. You're ready for the next step when you can name your state senator, state representative, and one local elected official from memory.

Research & Investigation

Now dig deeper into how civic decisions get made in your community. Go to slc.gov and find the city council meeting calendar. Read the agenda from the most recent meeting — notice what kinds of issues come up. Search for one current local issue that matters to you, like housing, transit, or parks. Use the Utah Legislature's website at le.utah.gov to track a bill related to that issue. Watch a short YouTube explainer on how a bill becomes a law in Utah. You're ready for the next step when you can explain the path a local issue takes from a community complaint all the way to a council vote.

Planning & Preparation

Pick one specific civic action you want to take — attending a city council meeting, registering a new voter, or writing a public comment on a proposed rule. Make a plan with a date and a clear goal. Register to vote or update your registration at vote.utah.gov if you haven't already. Find the public comment period for one active Utah policy at regulations.utah.gov and read the instructions for submitting feedback. Write a one-paragraph draft of what you'd say or do. You're ready for the next step when you have a specific date on your calendar and a written draft of your civic action.

Taking Action

Take your planned civic action. Attend the meeting, submit your public comment, or help someone register to vote through vote.utah.gov. If you attend a Salt Lake City Council meeting, sign up for public comment — you get two minutes to speak. Take notes on what you observe: who shows up, what issues dominate, how officials respond. If you submit a written comment, save a copy. After your action, write a short reflection — what surprised you, what you'd do differently, and what you want to learn more about. You're ready for the next step when you have completed one real civic action and written a reflection on it.

Leadership & Expansion

Now help someone else get involved. Teach a friend or family member how to find their representatives using ballotpedia.org or the Utah Legislature's "Find My Legislator" tool. Organize a small watch party for a city council or school board meeting — even two or three people counts. Create a simple one-page guide explaining one local civic process, like how to apply for a neighborhood grant or how to speak at a public hearing. Share it in a group chat, a neighborhood app like Nextdoor, or a local Facebook group. You're ready for the next step when at least one other person has taken a civic action because of something you taught or shared.

Impact & Reflection

Look back at everything you've done and measure the impact. Did your public comment get a response? Did the person you registered actually vote? Check the Utah voter lookup tool at vote.utah.gov to confirm registrations. Write a two-paragraph summary of what changed — in your community and in yourself. Identify one ongoing way you'll stay engaged, like signing up for Salt Lake City's newsletter at slc.gov or joining a neighborhood council. Share your summary with your SLCTrips group. You're ready for the next step when you can describe one specific thing your civic action contributed to and name one habit you'll keep going forward.