Utah Eliminate the Independent Redistricting Commission Initiative (2026)

Utah Eliminate the Independent Redistricting Commission Initiative
Election date November 3, 2026
Topic Redistricting policy
Status Signatures submitted
Type Initiated state statute	Origin Citizens

The Utah Eliminate the Independent Redistricting Commission Initiative may appear on the ballot in Utah as an initiated state statute on November 3, 2026.

Overview

What would the initiative change about the redistricting process in Utah?

See also: Text of measure

The initiative would repeal Proposition 4, which was approved by voters in 2018, thereby eliminating the seven-member non-politician redistricting commission known as the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission. Additionally, the measure would repeal Senate Bill 200, approved by the state legislature in 2020, which amended Prop 4.

Click here to read more about the provisions that were implemented with Prop 4. Click here to read more about how Senate Bill 200 amended the initiative.

With Prop 4 repealed, the state legislature would again have sole authority to draw the state legislative and congressional districts. The lines would be subject to veto by the governor. Redistricting would occur in the legislative session immediately following the federal census, a schedule which was adopted when Amendment 8 was approved by Utah voters in 2008.

Text of measure

Full text

The full text of the ballot initiative is below:

Fiscal impact statement

The fiscal impact statement, prepared by the Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, is available here.

Support

Utahns for Representative Government is leading the campaign in support of the initiative.

Supporters

Officials

• President Donald Trump (R)
• U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R)
• Utah Attorney General Derek Brown (R)

Candidates

• Carolyn Phippen (R) - Former candidate for U.S. Senate

Former Officials

• Former U.S. Rep. Robert Bishop (R)

Political Parties

• Republican Party of Utah

Organizations

• Securing American Greatness Inc.

Individuals

• Robert Axson - Utah Republican Party Chair
• Brad Bonham (R) - Republican National Committeeman
• Donald Trump Jr. - Executive VP of the Trump Organization

Arguments

• Utah Republican Party: "The clock is ticking. Our constitutional right to fair and accountable representation is under attack, and we are in a high-stakes legal and political battle to save it. The integrity of our electoral process—and the ability for the Legislature to draw maps as the Constitution requires—hangs in the balance. We need to act decisively and immediately."
• President Donald Trump: "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."
• Utahns for Representative Government: "Utah is facing a direct threat to its constitutional balance. Outside interests and activist judges have worked to strip the Legislature—Utah’s elected representatives—of their authority to draw congressional districts. This effort began with Proposition 4 (“Better Boundaries”), a measure funded by out-of-state groups seeking to impose their will on Utah voters. Now, 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."

Opposition

Protect Utah Voters is leading the campaign in opposition to the measure.

Opponents

Former Officials

• Former State Rep. Brian King (D)

Organizations

• ACLU of Utah
• Alliance for a Better Utah
• Better Boundaries
• League of Women Voters of Utah
• Mormon Women for Ethical Government

Arguments

• ACLU of Utah: "Utahns deserve fair maps and fair representation, not political tricks. This isn't fairness - it's politicians protecting their own power. Utahns deserve leaders who follow the law and respect the will of the people, not insiders rewriting the rules to benefit themselves."
• Protect Utah Voters: "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."

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls and 2026 ballot measure polls

Utah Eliminate the Independent Redistricting Commission Initiative (2026)

Poll	Dates	Sample size	Margin of error	Support	Oppose	Undecided	Sponsor
Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics Question "There is currently an effort to gather signatures for a ballot proposition that would eliminate Utah's independent redistricting commission, which was established in 2018 when voters passed Proposition 4. Do you support of oppose eliminating that commission?"	Feb. 11, 2026–Feb. 14, 2026	769 RV	± 4.00%	27.0%	32.0%	41.0%
Embold Research Question "In 2018, Utah voters passed Proposition 4, a ballot initiative that established the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission and included a set of neutral criteria that all redistricting maps in Utah must follow. Prop 4 also banned the manipulation of election district maps to unfairly benefit one political party (“gerrymandering”). Do you support or oppose Prop 4?"	Jan. 12, 2026–Jan. 15, 2026	1,731 RV	± 2.50%	64.0%	19.0%	18.0%	Better Boundaries
Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics Question "There is currently an effort to gather signatures for a ballot proposition that would eliminate Utah's independent redistricting commission, which was established in 2018 when voters passed Proposition 4. Do you support of oppose eliminating that commission?"	Jan. 7, 2026–Jan. 12, 2026	799 RV	± 3.00%	26.0%	29.0%	44.0%
Note: LV is likely voters, RV is registered voters, and EV is eligible voters.

Background

Redistricting in Utah between 2018 and 2026

Proposition 4 (2018)

See also: Utah Proposition 4, Independent Advisory Commission on Redistricting Initiative (2018)

In 2018, Utah voters approved Prop 4; 50.3% voted yes on the measure. Proposition 4 created a seven-member independent redistricting commission to draft maps for congressional and state legislative districts. Members are appointed by the governor and state legislative leaders. A person is not eligible to serve as a commissioner if, during the four years before appointment, he or she was a lobbyist; was a candidate for or holder of any political or elected office; received compensation from a political party, political party committee, or political action committee associated with a political party. Members are required to submit redistricting plans to the Legislature for approval or rejection. Click here to read more about the commission members. Click here to read more about the commission's process and standards for creating new maps.

Senate Bill 200 (2020)

See also: Legislative alteration

In 2020, the state legislature altered Prop 4 when they passed 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.

Litigation

See also: Redistricting in Utah ahead of the 2026 elections

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 August 25, 2025, Judge Gibson of the Utah Third Judicial District Court ruled that SB 200 was unconstitutional. She held, "that the Legislature unconstitutionally repealed Prop 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, 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, Judge Gibson ruled that the maps enacted by the legislature violated Prop 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.

Changes in congressional districts

The following maps compare the congressional district boundaries enacted after the 2020 census with those enacted in 2025 by Judge Gibson and are colored by partisan change according to 2024 presidential results.

Redistricting efforts between 2024 and 2026

See also: Redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections

As of February 2026, six states had congressional district maps that were subject to change before the 2026 elections, and six states—California, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Utah—had new congressional maps. Three states were reportedly exploring voluntary redistricting, and three states had congressional maps that were subject to change due to litigation. Before 2025, only two states had conducted voluntary mid-decade redistricting since 1970.

The map below shows redistricting activity between the 2024 and 2026 elections.

The table below shows redistricting activity between the 2024 and 2026 elections as well as the pre-redistricting U.S. House delegation in each state.

Status of congressional redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections

State	Reason for redistricting	Status	Method of redistricting	U.S. House delegation before redistricting	Potential result of new maps
New map enacted
California	Voluntary redistricting	Voters approved the use of a new map on Nov. 4, 2025.	Commission	43 D - 9 R	+5 D
Missouri	Voluntary redistricting	Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) signed new map into law on Sept. 28, 2025.	Legislature-dominant	6 R - 2 D	+1 R
North Carolina	Voluntary redistricting	Legislature passed new map into law on Oct. 22, 2025	Legislature-dominant	10 R - 4 D	+1 R
Ohio	Required by law to redistrict	Redistricting commission approved a new map on Oct. 31, 2025	Legislature-dominant	10 R -5 D	+2 R
Texas	Voluntary redistricting	U.S. Supreme Court ruled the new Texas map could be used in 2026	Legislature-dominant	25 R -12 D with 1 vacancy	+5 R
Utah	Changed due to litigation	Court approved new plaintiff-submitted map	Legislature-dominant	4 R - 0 D	+1 D
Net					+3 R
New map possible
Florida	Voluntary redistricting	Special session to occur April 2026	Legislature-dominant	20 R - 8 D	-
Georgia	Subject to change due to litigation	Litigation ongoing	Legislature-dominant	9 R - 5 D	-
Louisiana	Subject to change due to litigation	Litigation ongoing	Legislature-dominant	4 R - 2 D	-
Maryland	Voluntary redistricting	House approved new map	Legislature-dominant	7 D - 1 R	-
New York	Subject to change due to litigation	Litigation ongoing	Hybrid	19 D - 7 R	-
Virginia	Voluntary redistricting	Constitutional amendment to allow redistricting pending voter approval	Hybrid	6 D - 5 R	-

Utah congressional representatives, 2026

See also: United States congressional delegations from Utah

As of 2026, Utah has four congressional districts, with voters within each district electing a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Gov. Spencer Cox (R) called a special session to begin on November 9, 2021. The Utah legislature voted to approve the House and Senate district maps on November 10, 2021. These maps were in effect for Utah's 2022 and 2024 legislative elections. Click here for more information about the congressional maps enacted in Utah after the 2020 census.

The current members of the U.S. House from Utah are:

Office	Name	Party	Date assumed office	Date term ends
U.S. House Utah District 1	Blake Moore	Republican	January 3, 2021	January 3, 2027
U.S. House Utah District 2	Celeste Maloy	Republican	November 28, 2023	January 3, 2027
U.S. House Utah District 3	Mike Kennedy	Republican	January 3, 2025	January 3, 2027
U.S. House Utah District 4	Burgess Owens	Republican	January 3, 2021	January 3, 2027

Path to the ballot

Process in Utah

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Utah

An initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. There are 21 states that allow citizens to initiate state statutes, including 14 that provide for direct initiatives and nine (9) that provide for indirect initiatives (two provide for both). An indirect initiated state statute goes to the legislature after a successful signature drive. The legislatures in these states have the option of approving the initiative itself, rather than the initiative appearing on the ballot.

In Utah, the number of required signatures is tied to the number of active voters as of January 1 following the most recent regular general election. For directly initiated statutes, proponents must gather signatures equal to 8 percent of the total number of active voters. For directly initiated state statutes, signatures must be collected from each of at least 26 of the 29 Utah State Senate districts equal to 8 percent of active voters in the state as of January 1 of the year following the last regular general election.

State law establishes a final signature deadline for direct initiated state statutes as either 316 days after the initial initiative application was filed or February 15 of the election year, whichever is earlier. Moreover, signature petition sheet packets for direct initiatives must be submitted to county clerks on a rolling basis no more than 30 days after the first signature is added to the packet.

The requirements to get an initiated state statute certified for the 2026 ballot:

• Signatures: 140,748 valid signatures were required.
• Deadline: The deadline to submit signatures was February 15, 2026. An initiative also has a specific deadline 316 days following the initial application.

Stages of this ballot initiative

The following is the timeline of the initiative:

• October 14, 2025: The initiative was filed by Robert Axson, chairperson of the Utah Republican Party, and is pending official review by the secretary of state.
• October 24, 2025: Sponsors of the initiative repealed the initial version and filed a second version of the measure. This changed the type of measure from an indirectly initiated state statute to a directly initiated state statute.
• November 3, 2025: Public hearings for the initiative were held. After the completion of the public hearings, the initiative was cleared to begin gathering signatures.
• February 15, 2026: Robert Axson announced that sponsors had gathered and submitted more than 200,000 signatures in support of the initiative.
• March 2, 2026: Utah Political Watch announced the campaign had met the distribution requirement in 26 of Utah's 29 senate districts.
• March 3, 2026: As of this date, the Lt. Governor had verified 163,012 signatures.

How to cast a vote

See also: Voting in Utah

See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Utah.

How to vote in Utah

Poll times

Utah is an all-mail voting state that offers vote centers for voters that choose to vote in person. All vote centers are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. Utah voters are able to vote in person at any vote center. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Utah, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Utah for at least 30 days prior to the election, and at least 18 years old by the next general election. Pre-registration is available for 16- and 17-year-olds. 17-year-olds may vote in primary elections if they will turn 18 by the general election. Registration can be completed online or by mailing in a form. The deadline to register online or by mail is 11 days before Election Day. After this deadline, voters may register in person at a vote center by casting a provisional ballot and providing two forms of identification.

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

Utah does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Utah has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

Utah allows same-day voter registration at polling places during the 10 days preceding and on Election Day.

Residency requirements

Prospective voters must be residents of the state for at least 30 days before the election.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Utah does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a person who commits fraudulent registration is "guilty of a class A misdemeanor" under Utah Code 20A-2-401.

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Six states — Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring individuals provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. Two states, Georgia and Mississippi, require a person provide proof of citizenship if their citizenship status cannot be verified by other means. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The Utah lieutenant governor’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

Voter ID requirements

Utah requires in-person voters to present non-photo identification while voting.

The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2025. Click here for the Utah statute defining accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

“

"Valid voter identification" means: a form of identification that bears the name and photograph of the voter which may include: a currently valid Utah driver license; a currently valid identification card issued under Title 53, Chapter 3, Part 8, Identification Card Act; a currently valid identification card that is issued by: the state; or a branch, department, or agency of the United States; a currently valid Utah permit to carry a concealed weapon; a currently valid United States passport; or a currently valid United States military identification card; one of the following identification cards, regardless of whether the card includes a photograph of the voter: a valid tribal identification card; a Bureau of Indian Affairs card; or a tribal treaty card; or two forms of identification not listed under Subsection (79)(a) or (b) but that bear the name of the voter and provide evidence that the voter resides in the voting precinct, which may include: before January 1, 2029, an original or copy of a current utility bill, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election; before January 1, 2029, an original or copy of a bank or other financial account statement, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election; a certified birth certificate; a valid social security card; an original or copy of a check issued by the state or the federal government, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election; an original or copy of a paycheck from the voter's employer, dated no more than 90 calendar days before the date of the election; a currently valid Utah hunting or fishing license; certified naturalization documentation; a currently valid license issued by an authorized agency of the United States; a certified copy of court records showing the voter's adoption or name change; a valid Medicaid card, Medicare card, or Electronic Benefits Transfer Card; a currently valid identification card issued by: a local government within the state; an employer for an employee; or a college, university, technical school, or professional school located within the state; or a current Utah vehicle registration.

”

See also

2026 ballot measures

View other measures certified for the 2026 ballot across the U.S. and in Utah.

• 2026 ballot measures
• Utah 2026 ballot measures
• Utah elections, 2026

Utah ballot measures

Explore Utah's ballot measure history, including citizen-initiated ballot measures.

• List of Utah ballot measures
• Utah Historical Ballot Measures Factbook
• Redistricting policy ballot measures
• Utah State Legislature

Initiative process

Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.

• Laws governing the initiative process in Utah
• Initiated state statute
• Utah Constitution

External links

• Full Text of Initiative
• Utah Initiatives and Referenda

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