Why Utah should decline to sign the petition to repeal Prop 4
Join Utahns across the state to protect voter power
Utahns voted for fair and transparent redistricting when they passed Proposition 4. Now some political leaders have launched a campaign to try to repeal it. Before signing anything, Utahns deserve to know exactly what this petition would do and how it affects their voice in government.
Sign up below to stay up to date
NO PETITIONS
from politicians
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.
ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO UNDO WHAT VOTERS PASSED
On October 24, 2025, the Utah Republican Party filed an initiative to repeal the Independent Redistricting and Standards Act. If passed, the repeal would eliminate the standards and advisory commission created by Proposition 4 and upheld by Utah courts. These reforms were designed to bring more fairness, transparency, and public accountability to redistricting. Thanks to broad support from Utahns, those standards helped produce the current congressional map, which reflects real communities across the state.
Sponsors of the initiative include GOP Chair Rob Axson, Senator Mike Lee, Attorney General Derek Brown, and other high-profile political figures.
The sponsors have until February 15 to gather about 140,748 signatures statewide, including signatures in at least 26 of Utah’s 29 Senate districts. If successful, the initiative will be on the November 2026 ballot, where Utahns will vote to either repeal or keep Proposition 4.
Don’t let them succeed. Decline to sign their petitions!
STOP THE POWER GRAB!
“This is about protecting politicians’ power, not protecting Utahns.”
The BOTTOM LINE
Ronald Reagan called it a conflict of interest when politicians draw their own districts. That’s exactly what this initiative allows. It repeals the standards Utahns passed in 2018 and removes the safeguards that keep redistricting fair and accountable.
Utahns deserve better. Decline to sign.
Frequently Asked Questions
Proposition 4, known as the Better Boundaries initiative, was a citizen-led initiative passed in 2018 by over 512,000 Utah voters. It created a redistricting process with an independent advisory commission and binding standards for how maps are drawn. These rules focus on keeping communities together, increasing transparency, and preventing gerrymandering.
In 2020 lawmakers passed SB 200 and rewrote key parts of Proposition 4. This bill eliminated the requirement for lawmakers to publicly explain when they rejected commission maps, and made the standards optional instead of binding. SB 200 also rolled back public transparency measures, giving the Legislature more control and less accountability. In 2021 lawmakers used that power to bypass the commission’s maps and pass their own, without following the standards voters had approved. A group of Utah voters challenged those changes in court.
In 2024 the Utah Supreme Court ruled that Utahns have the constitutional right to change how their government works through citizen initiatives. The Court said lawmakers can change those laws only if they meet a very high constitutional standard. The justices also made clear that initiatives like Prop 4 can legally change the structure of government and must be respected under the Utah Constitution.
In 2025, the district court confirmed Prop 4 is valid law. It ordered new maps to be drawn using the standards voters approved. When the Legislature did not submit a map that met those standards, the court implemented one of the plaintiff’s proposed maps for the 2026 elections. The courts upheld both the public’s right to change the process and the need to follow the law.
After the court rulings, a group of political leaders filed a new initiative to repeal Prop 4. This effort would remove the reforms voters passed and give full redistricting control to the Legislature.
The Legislature has opposed Prop 4 from the beginning, and this initiative gives them a path to undo what voters approved and what the courts upheld. It shifts control away from the public and back to the politicians who were meant to be kept in check by the law.
No. The courts did not draw any maps. The Legislature is responsible for drawing maps, but it must do so according to the law. When the Legislature did not follow the standards in Prop 4, The court implemented a map submitted by the plaintiffs after determining it met the standards in Prop 4. The court’s role is to enforce the law—not replace the Legislature.
No. The only petition currently being circulated is the one to repeal Prop 4. If a signature gatherer says this petition does not repeal Prop 4 or does not change the maps, that is incorrect. False or misleading statements should be reported to the Lieutenant Governor’s Office at 801-538-1041, which oversees ballot initiatives.
Do not sign the repeal petition. Talk with friends and neighbors and share accurate information about what’s happening. Support voter education and outreach by donating if you’re able, and stay involved by following Better Boundaries for updates on the process and ways to help.