Overview
- State data released Thursday showed the petition fell below the 8% signature threshold in Senate District 15, stopping it from qualifying under Utah’s rule that at least 26 of 29 Senate districts must meet the mark.
- Utah requires valid signatures equal to 8% of voters statewide and in most Senate districts, and although organizers submitted roughly 225,000 names with about 170,000 verified, their support was too thin at the district level.
- Better Boundaries led a targeted removal push that produced roughly 7,000 rescissions, and concentrated withdrawals in District 15 left the petition about 260 short there.
- The Republican-backed drive spent about $4.35 million on paid signature gathering and drew endorsements from President Donald Trump and Turning Point Action, yet the effort still fell short of the district quota.
- The failure means Judge Dianna Gibson’s map stays in place for 2026, and while lawsuits over counting removals and a new law clarifying a ban on prepaid-postage for withdrawal forms continue, officials report the shortfall stands.