Arizona's Unusual Utility Election Pits Landowners Against Residents

The Salt River Project's century-old voting system gives outsized influence to a small group of landowners.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 11:11am

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A minimalist abstract illustration using bold geometric shapes and primary colors to conceptually represent the unequal voting power in the governance of the Salt River Project utility.An antiquated voting system gives a small group of landowners outsized influence over a utility serving millions in the Phoenix metro area.Phoenix Today

In Arizona, the Salt River Project (SRP) utility is governed by a unique voting system that gives landowners one vote per acre of land they own, rather than a one-person, one-vote system. This has allowed a small group of landowners to maintain control over the utility's decisions, even as it serves the much larger Phoenix metropolitan area. As SRP faces important choices about the future of energy production, this antiquated voting structure has become a point of contention.

Why it matters

The Salt River Project's voting system is a relic of the early 20th century, when the utility was created to serve a largely agricultural region. However, as Phoenix has grown into one of the largest metro areas in the U.S., the voting structure has given a small number of landowners outsized influence over decisions that impact a much broader population. This has raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of the utility's governance.

The details

The Salt River Project was created in 1903 when a group of landowners secured a federal loan to build a dam on the Salt River. In exchange, they were given a voting system that granted one vote per acre of land owned. This system has remained in place even as the utility has grown to serve the entire Phoenix metropolitan area, which now has a population of over 4 million people. Today, just 150,000 acres of land are represented in the SRP's voting system, giving a small group of landowners significant control over the utility's decisions.

  • The Salt River Project was created in 1903, almost a decade before Arizona became a state.
  • The utility's unique voting system, which grants one vote per acre of land owned, has been in place since the project's inception.

The players

Salt River Project (SRP)

A utility company that provides electricity and water to the Phoenix metropolitan area. SRP is governed by a voting system that grants one vote per acre of land owned, rather than a one-person, one-vote system.

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What’s next

As SRP faces important decisions about the future of energy production in Arizona, there are growing calls for the utility to reform its antiquated voting system to give all residents a more equal say in its governance.

The takeaway

The Salt River Project's century-old voting system, which gives outsized influence to a small group of landowners, highlights the need for more democratic and representative governance of critical utility infrastructure, especially as communities and their needs evolve over time.