Supporters of a Utah initiative to repeal Proposition 4 announced on Feb. 15 that they submitted more than 200,000 signatures in support of the measure. If the signatures are validated by election officials, voters would decide the initiative on Nov. 3, 2026. 

The initiative would repeal Prop 4, approved by voters in 2018, eliminating the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission, a non-politician commission, tasked with creating congressional and state legislative districts in Utah.   

Initiative Signatures 

Robert Axson, one of the initiative’s organizers and Chairman of the Republican Party of Utah, stated that sponsors of the measure submitted more than 200,000 signatures to county clerks in Utah.

To be placed on the ballot, sponsors of an initiative must submit a number of signatures equal to 8% of the state's active voters. For 2026, that number is 140,748. Additionally, Utah has a distribution requirement, meaning sponsors of an initiative must meet the 8% requirement in 26 of Utah’s 29 senate districts.

Local officials have 21 days after receiving signatures to determine whether they are valid and to submit the names to the lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor then has until April 29 to issue a declaration stating whether the petition is sufficient or insufficient.

Redistricting in Utah since Proposition 4

In 2018, Utah voters approved Proposition 4, with 50.3% of ballots cast in favor. Prop 4 created a non-politician redistricting commission tasked with drafting and recommending congressional and state legislative district maps to the state legislature for approval.

In 2020, the state legislature altered the law with Senate Bill 200 (SB 200). Prop 4 originally granted the commission sole authority to draft congressional and state legislative district maps and to recommend them to the state legislature for approval. SB 200 created a legislative committee that also had the power to draft and recommend district maps. 

SB 200 also repealed provisions that barred the commission and legislators from using partisan political data, such as partisan election results and voting records, when drafting maps, and from drawing districts that purposefully or unduly favored or disfavored any incumbent, candidate, or political party. The state Senate passed SB 200 by a vote of 25-0, and the state House passed SB 200 by a vote of 67-4.

In 2021, the legislative committee created electoral maps used in the 2022 election cycle. In July 2022, the Utah League of Women Voters, along with Mormon Women for Ethical Government, filed a lawsuit challenging both the legality of SB 200 and the 2021 redistricting maps adopted by the state legislature.

On Aug. 25, 2025, Judge Gibson of the Utah Third Judicial District Court ruled that SB 200 was unconstitutional. She held "that the Legislature unconstitutionally repealed Proposition 4, and enacted SB 200, in violation of the people’s fundamental right to reform redistricting in Utah and to prohibit partisan gerrymandering." Therefore, the congressional districts created in 2021 were also unconstitutional. The ruling required the legislature to adopt a new map that complies with Proposition 4's requirements.

On October 6, 2025, in a special legislative session, the state legislature passed Senate Bill 1012. The bill adopted a new map for congressional districts. The state Senate approved the bill in a vote of 18-9 and the House approved the bill in a vote of 56-17.

On November 10, 2025, Judge Gibson ruled that the maps enacted by the legislature violated Proposition 4. As such, the court adopted an alternate map as the judicial remedy, stating that it, “better satisfies the redistricting standards and requirements contained in Proposition 4." That map is the one in place as of February 2026. However, the state legislature moved the filing deadline for congressional candidates from January to March 2026 to allow time for an appeal in the case.

For a more detailed breakdown of the lawsuit and legal proceedings, click here.

Support for the initiative 

Utahns for Representative Government is leading the campaign in support of the measure. A statement on their website states, “Flawed court rulings are attempting to rewrite our state constitution, creating confusion and undermining Utah’s system of representative, accountable government. If left unchallenged, these actions will allow unelected judges and special interests to determine Utah’s political future.”

Additionally, President Donald Trump (R) endorsed the measure. In a Truth Social post, he urged Utah voters to sign the initiative petition. He said, “Utahns deserve Maps drawn by those they elect, not Rogue Judges or Leftwing Activists who never faced the Voters, and, therefore, I encourage all Patriotic Utahns, Republicans, and MAGA Supporters who love their Great State and Country to sign this initiative, ASAP.”

Opposition to the initiative

Protect Utah Voters is the organization leading the campaign opposing the initiative. A statement on their website states, “Proposition 4 was written by Utahns for Utahns. It created clear rules and a more open process so redistricting couldn’t be used for political advantage. The new petition would undo those reforms. No matter what party we belong to, most of us agree that politicians shouldn’t get to choose their voters.”

This month, Better Boundaries, the committee formed to support Prop 4 in 2018, announced it was launching a campaign to help voters who had signed the initiative remove their signatures. In Utah, a voter can remove their signature from a support petition by contacting their local elections office or their county clerk.

Elizabeth Rasmussen, executive director of Better Boundaries, said that the campaign to remove signatures is an effort to improve transparency in the redistricting process. She said, “We at Better Boundaries believe voters deserve transparency and honesty in the democratic process. When Utahns passed Proposition 4 in 2018, they were clear about what they wanted. Utahns should know exactly what they’re signing, and if a repeal effort can’t win on the facts, it shouldn’t try to win through misleading petition practices.”

Other measures on the 2026 ballot

If the initiative is placed on the ballot, it will be the third measure to go before voters in 2026. Both of the other measures are constitutional amendments.

The first would require that future citizen-initiated state statutes need a 60% supermajority vote in the election to pass if the initiative increases taxes. Currently, all citizen initiatives require only a simple majority (50% plus one vote) to pass into law. 

The second would update the publication requirement for proposed constitutional amendments. Currently, amendments must be published in at least one newspaper in each county in the state for at least two months preceding the election. If the ballot measure is approved, the newspaper requirement would be abolished, allowing publication on the state legislature’s website to meet the constitutional requirement to notify the public.