Utah GOP Plans Direct Ballot Initiative to Repeal Anti-Gerrymandering Law Prop 4

The Utah Republican Party has shifted its strategy in attempting to repeal Proposition 4, a 2018 voter-approved law that established an independent redistricting process to prevent partisan gerrymandering. Initially, the party filed for an indirect initiative requiring around 70,000 signatures to compel the Legislature to vote on repeal, but legal challenges threatened to block this approach. Consequently, they withdrew the indirect initiative and filed for a direct initiative, which requires a higher signature threshold of approximately 140,000 signatures and would put the repeal question directly to voters in a statewide ballot. The new effort is supported by prominent Republicans, including Utah Senator Mike Lee, and is framed as restoring constitutional order by returning redistricting authority to elected representatives rather than courts or commissions. Advocates of Proposition 4 view the change as a setback for the GOP, as the direct initiative is more challenging and bypasses the legislative vote that the party initially sought. Public hearings are underway to gather input on the repeal effort, which continues to intensify the ongoing legal and political battle over redistricting in Utah.