Alert: ACTION ITEM when you spot a petitioner asking to repeal PROPOSITION 4 in UTAH

 

Download, print and hang around town. Author of icon

Utah has only one active petition drive that ends in mid February, 2026.  Out of state people have been "brought in" to gather signatures from voters.  

A GOP-affiliated action group is spending a LOT of money to fund the repeal-prop-4 petition drive, in order to keep cheating and gerrymandering in Utah.  Politicians who objected to "outside influences' when the proposition 4 was being put forward suddenly have no issue with outside dark money.

Why not "Win elections by having good ideas that persuade voters to vote for your party?"  Petition gatherers often congregate at county buildings, motor vehicle registration sites, libraries, and large stores. 

Suggested Pro-Democracy action plan when meeting a petitioner:

Any of these actions are helpful:  Thank you for protecting democracy.

• Activate a voice memo before approaching someone.  In Utah, recordings are allowed if you are in the conversation.  
•  Remark on the time, date, and place as you walk up.
• Ask for information about the petition, including a copy of the text of the petition.  (When we canvased for a petition in the spring we were required to show each voter the text of the petition).
• Take the clipboard in hand, comment on the packet number and perhaps photograph it for your record outside the voice memo.  The packet number is located on the front of the stapled packet. 
• Hold onto the clip board for a long time while asking more questions.  This can prevent others from signing.
• Insure that accurate information is provided. You might ask: 
• "Who is behind this effort?  
• Name the sponsors?  
• Are they a bipartisan group (NO)! 
• I understand that the Republican lawmakers will select their voters if this petition succeeds.  Why is that desired?
• The actual petition may be "the text of proposition 4 crossed out".  If it is shown to you, ask why a fair and bipartisan plan would be "bad for us voters"? 
• find out the petitioner's badge number? (less important: your name? Where are you from?  How much are you paid?)
• Report irregularities to the Utah Lieutenant Governor (https://cs.utah.gov/s/ltgovsubmit) and to mail@UTdems.org  
• Even though you should not sign the petition, request the form to remove your signature if you change your mind.  This establishes that "removal info" is also being provided.

More detailed guide--- in case you are interested:

1. Document and 

1. a) report observed signature collection activity to the Utah Lieutenant Governor and the Democratic Party via email - mail@utdem.org and 

2. “Decline to Sign” the PRO-GER petition and educate your communities about this issue. Tell your communities to "Decline to Sign" and "Say no to petitions from our politicians"

2. Document what the canvassers are saying when you can safely do so.  Activating a voice memo before walking up to a petitioner works great for this.  It is legal in Utah to record yourself in conversation in all settings.

3. Document the location, date and time you have spotted them.

4. Document the badge number of the person and perhaps even the packet number on the petition signature pages.

5. Note the type of property they are occupying.

a.  Is it Federal property?

1. Federal Property is prohibited for use with the purpose of obtaining signatures on a direct ballot initiative.

2. Get video, photo, or written evidence of this and submit it to UDP.

2. Is it private property?

1. Ask if they have written permission to be at the location.

2. Call the property manager, store manager and corporation to complain.

3. Is this your neighborhood or home? Ask as many questions as possible and use up their time.

3. Is it public?

1. Alert your community and potentially show up with friends in dissent, never alone. 

2. Use best practices for keeping it safe and effective, avoiding confrontation and confusion while remaining in designated public spaces such as sidewalks. 

3. Use concise effective messaging on signs that are clearly legible and can be read from a distance of at least 20 feet.

Recommended messaging: “Decline to Sign”, “Uphold Prop 4”, “NO Repeal of Prop 4”, “People of Utah Have Spoken” and others.

6. Are canvassers explaining the Petition for repeal of Prop 4 to signatories as required by Utah state law?

1. What kinds of things are they saying to passersby?

2. Are canvassers from out of state/paid?

7. School Campuses are a potentially unique situation and are likely to be under the purview of the school administrators and student organizations.

1. Document following steps 1-3 of this guide and report to UDP via email noting if the canvassers are adequately explaining the petition.

2. Ask if the canvassers have administrative permission to be on campus canvassing or if they are embedded in a student group.

3. File a complaint with the campus administration and the student org that was potentially hosting.

4. Report to UDP all gathered information.

Summary

This document is intended to provide some guidelines around reporting PRO-GER activity surrounding signature gathering for a potential ballot initiative to repeal Prop 4.  Please remember to stay safe and do not confront canvassers or cause confusion seek to be physically disruptive.  Focus on gathering information reporting information to the UDP vis email and complaints to the appropriate authorities when applicable.  If you feel you must protest, do so in a group, assess your personal risk threshold, remain in public free speech zones only, do not attempt to disrupt the canvassers by protest, remain calm, non-violent and respectful of the communities in which you are a visitor or resident.  

*This document is for information purposes only and is not intended to supersede the instructions of law enforcement, the Utah Democratic Party or personal discretion and responsibility. 

Background:

Overview

Proposition (Prop) 4 was passed 7 years ago by the People of Utah to establish an independent, non-partisan Congressional redistricting committee.  Utahns for Representative Government is CLEARLY NOT FOR REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. THEIR GOAL IS CHEATING BY GERRYMANDING. WE WILL CALL THEM THE PRO-GERRYMANDERING COMMITTEE (PRO-GER).

The Pro-Ger petition effort is asking Utah Voters to allow lawmakers to steal our right to free and fair elections, and to let politicians pick their voters. The Utah Constitution says that voters pick their lawmakers and that is what Prop 4 and the court ruling further!!!!

The Pro-Ger committee is a Republican Political Issues Committee formed with the purpose of repealing Prop 4 through a direct ballot initiative.  The sponsors of this direct initiative include Utah Republican Party Chair Robert Axson, U.S. Senator Mike Lee, Utah Attorney General Derek Brown, Former U.S. Congressman Rob Bishop, Republican National Committeeman Brad Bonham, Leeds Mayor Bill Hoster, Beaver County Commissioner Tammy Pearson, Utah County Republican Party Chair Cristy Henshaw, and grassroots Republican volunteers Carolina Herrin, Cody Stewart, and Carolyn Phippen. PRO-GER says their ballot initiative is grassroots, but their sponsoring membership clearly proves otherwise.

PRO-GER claims they are protecting representative government and fair maps, but by insisting Utah’s Congressional district maps be developed by the GOP supermajority legislature, they are doing the exact opposite. They failed to abolish Prop 4 in the Utah Supreme Court or the District Court, so PRO-GER and the state legislature's GOP supermajority now seek to hold ballot initiatives until they achieve their desired outcome to maintain complete power over Utahns.

PRO-GER posits that the state courts are exerting judicial overreach and have created a state constitutional crisis of sorts. We disagree; the Utah State Court disagrees.  The Utah GOP is following the national GOP playbook, knowing their platform isn’t popular enough to hold a US House of Representatives majority.  They seek to gain House seats by implementing heavily gerrymandered partisan maps.  They wish to retain their unfair majority and make decisions for the people of Utah without any input or participation from the People.  This is antithetical to democracy and the Utah State Constitution as interpreted by the Utah Supreme Court.  PRO-GER seeks to undermine the voice and votes of over 500,000 Utahns that voted for Prop 4. 

PRO-GER stated in one of their recent newsletters 

“For those who claim to believe in the initiative process, they should welcome our effort. The only difference is that our initiative restores the constitutional order that Proposition 4 disrupted,” said Utah Republican Party Chair Rob Axson. “This is about defending the Utah Constitution and stopping unelected judges from rewriting it. The people’s representatives— not the courts—should draw Utah’s maps.”

October 24, 2025, https://utahnewsdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/10.24.25-Utahns-for-Representative-Government-Files-Direct-Initiative-to-Restore-Constitutional-Order.pdf  

What these statements fail to acknowledge is that the people voted in favor of Prop 4, and it is the people’s direct voice they are dismissing. The judges did their rightful due diligence in reconciling Prop 4 in the Utah Supreme Court and District Court and upheld the voice of the People and the State Constitution.  Further, a fair map was chosen by the court, not drawn by the court. In short, prior to Prop 4, the state legislature was not representing the will of the People. Utahns took it to the ballot box, then the legislature tried to circumvent the law, but the court ultimately upheld the will of the People.

Return to this web page using "wethepeoplecv.org/2025/12/alert-action-item-when-you-spot.html"