A Republican-led push in Utah to put a repeal of the state’s 2018 anti-gerrymandering initiative on the 2026 ballot is facing allegations of fraudulent petition signatures and reports of threats and scuffles involving signature gatherers. With petition packets due to county clerks by Feb. 15, 2026, county officials and opponents say the campaign’s tactics and signature quality could complicate its ability to qualify for the November ballot.
National Republicans and Utah GOP leaders are backing an effort to repeal Proposition 4, a voter-approved 2018 measure that created an independent redistricting commission and established standards aimed at limiting partisan gerrymandering.
The repeal push is unfolding as Utah’s congressional map is already in flux. In November 2025, state District Judge Dianna Gibson rejected maps passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature and adopted a map proposed by plaintiffs that keeps most of Salt Lake County in a single district—an outcome widely viewed as improving Democrats’ chances of winning at least one of the state’s four U.S. House seats in the 2026 midterms. Utah Republicans have challenged that decision, and the Utah Supreme Court has been reviewing related litigation.
To qualify the repeal for the November 2026 ballot, sponsors must submit enough petition signatures by Feb. 15, 2026. State election information says the campaign must ultimately reach at least 140,748 verified signatures—equal to 8% of the state’s active registered voters—and also meet geographic thresholds tied to state Senate districts. County clerks then have up to 21 days to verify signatures, with final verification due March 7, 2026.
The drive has drawn scrutiny in Utah County, where Clerk Aaron Davidson said his office flagged petition packets containing hundreds of signatures that appeared to be falsified. Davidson said his office rejected more than 90% of the signatures on the suspect packets and referred multiple packets to the county attorney for investigation after follow-up contacts with voters indicated some did not sign the petition or saw duplicate submissions.
Separately, opponents of the repeal have sought to encourage people who already signed to remove their names. Better Boundaries, a group that helped pass Proposition 4, has said it is running a targeted outreach effort after reports that some voters felt misled about what the petition would do. State election guidance notes that the deadline to withdraw a signature can vary depending on when a packet is submitted and verified, and advises voters who want to remove their names to contact their county clerk as soon as possible.
Reports of conflict around signature gathering have also surfaced. Utah GOP leaders have said signature gatherers have faced intimidation and altercations, while Better Boundaries has condemned threats or violence and said its campaign is focused on voter education and the signature-removal process.
The petition campaign has been boosted by prominent conservative activists and outside money. Reporting by Utah outlets has described multimillion-dollar support routed through a political committee associated with the effort, including funding linked to Securing American Greatness Inc., and signature-gathering assistance involving paid circulators.
Whether the repeal effort can clear both the statewide signature total and the district-by-district requirements before the Feb. 15 submission deadline remains uncertain. State records will ultimately determine how many signatures are verified—and how many are invalidated—before election officials decide whether the measure qualifies for the 2026 ballot.
