Utah Republican party launches referendum on map C and initiative to ask legislature to repeal Prop 4

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Exactly two weeks after the Utah Republican Party endorsed map C in Utah’s court-stipulated redistricting process, the party has filed paperwork to run a referendum to repeal map C and an initiative to ask the legislature to repeal Proposition 4.

“It’s the process that [the courts] wanted us to go by, we will go by their process, we will play the games that the state Supreme court and now our judiciary want us to engage in. We’re up to the challenge, and the people of Utah will weigh in,” said Republican Party Chair Rob Axson in an interview with ABC4.

If the party’s referendum signature gathering is successful in collecting around 140,748 signatures by November 17, then map C would not be allowed to take effect; instead, it would be sent to the voters for approval on the ballot in November of 2026.

That would mean that regardless of what the court decides on November 10, the number of signatures gathered from the voters would prevent the law that created Map C from taking effect.

It’s unclear which map would then be used in that case because a judge declared that the legislature violated the intent of Proposition 4 and invalidated Utah’s current maps, which were implemented in 2021.

“This is not a partisan issue in my mind,” Axson said. “This is not something that’s about what’s good for the republican party, or good for another party, or not good for us. The further that we move away from representative government and the principles of the constitutional republic, that’s to all of our detriment long term, regardless of party affiliation.”

Axson also explained why the party is trying to repeal map C after endorsing it two weeks ago. In short, he said that map C was the best map among bad options and a bad process.

“This is the process that we have as the sovereigns of the entire system of government. Ultimately, we as Utahns are the constituents. The elected officials, the courts, the government is there to serve us, to work on our behalf, to engage in that process, and this is a situation where there is clear tension between the legislature and the courts, and so we want to make sure that the people’s voice is heard in that process,” Axson said.

He explained that they endorsed map C because it was the best option for the needs and interests of Utah, “but that doesn’t change the fact that those five maps being presented and being forced in a truncated time frame to do so by the courts is not the best process.”

The best process, according to Axson, is the one done by the legislature following the census. However, because this is the process the courts have dictated, Axson said that the republican party is giving the citizenry an opportunity to be active and engaged.

What is an initiative to the legislature?

An initiative to the legislature is similar to an initiative to the voters, only it requires half the number of signatures of a voter initiative, around 70,374 in 26 of 29 counties by November 15. If they do, then on the first day of the following legislative session in 2026, the Utah legislature would be required to take a vote on it.

People who sign the packets would be signing to ask the legislature to repeal Section 20A, Chapters 19 and 20 of the Utah code — the section that is Proposition 4.

Better Boundaries objects

The group that launched and passed Proposition 4 had a strongly worded statement for the Utah GOP.

“This is yet another attempt to overturn the will of the people. These are desperate, transparent attempts to run out the clock, obstruct court-ordered reforms, and confuse the public ahead of 2026. They do nothing to serve Utahns — only to protect gerrymandered power. The process voters created to remove partisanship from redistricting has been hijacked by the supermajority,” Elizabeth Rasmussen, Executive Director of Better Boundaries, said in a statement sent to ABC4.

“We will use every tool available — in court, in the public square, and at the ballot box — to defend Prop 4, protect fair maps, and uphold the rule of law,” the statement continued. “Better Boundaries and our statewide coalition remain committed to ensuring Utah’s maps are drawn by principle, not politics.”