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Utah has two statewide citizen-petition routes: an initiative proposes a new statutory law, while a referendum asks voters to approve or reject a law the Legislature has already passed. Each route has its own eligibility rules and signature thresholds. A petition must pass county-clerk verification and be declared sufficient before voters decide it; a measure approved at the polls still proceeds through canvass, certification, and a gubernatorial proclamation.
Initiative or referendum: which route applies?
| Route | What the petition does | What happens if it qualifies |
|---|---|---|
| Initiative | Proposes a new statutory law. | A direct initiative goes to voters at the applicable general election. An initiative using the legislature route goes to lawmakers for consideration. |
| Referendum | Challenges a law already passed by the Legislature. | Voters decide whether to approve or reject the law, unless the law is exempt from referendum. |
These are statewide procedures. City and county initiatives and referenda follow separate rules, so statewide percentages and district tests should not be applied to a local measure.
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How do I get an initiative on the Utah ballot?
1. File the application and proposed law
Initiative sponsors begin with an application to the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office. The official instructions require at least five Utah-resident sponsors and a copy of the proposed law, including its title, funding description, and text. This petition route is for statutory laws, not amendments to the Utah Constitution.
The lieutenant governor reviews the filing under statutory criteria, including whether the proposal is legally capable of becoming law and addresses a single subject. The office’s instructions caution that if its website conflicts with statute, the statutory language governs.
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2. Meet the signature and district tests
For the 2026 statewide cycle, a regular initiative intended for the ballot requires signatures equal to 8% of active voters statewide and the applicable district thresholds in at least 26 of Utah’s 29 Senate districts. The alternative initiative-to-legislature route requires 4% statewide and district thresholds in at least 26 of 29 districts.
Those percentages are based on active-voter totals dated January 1, 2025, as published by the Utah Lieutenant Governor’s Office for the 2026 cycle. They are not fixed signature headcounts: use the official threshold table for the relevant cycle to determine the count in each district. The published guide says thresholds change on January 1, 2027, and every two years thereafter.
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3. Circulate petitions and submit signatures for review
Sponsors circulate petition packets for handwritten signatures from registered voters; electronic signatures are not permitted under the official instructions. Petition packets are submitted to county clerks for verification. The lieutenant governor then determines whether the petition is sufficient. The number collected by sponsors is not necessarily the number that will be verified as valid.
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How many signatures do you need for a Utah ballot initiative?
For the 2026 statewide cycle, the statewide component is 8% of active voters for a direct ballot initiative or 4% for an initiative submitted to the Legislature. Both routes also require meeting district thresholds in at least 26 of 29 Senate districts. The exact counts depend on the official cycle table, which uses active-voter totals dated January 1, 2025; a statewide percentage alone does not tell sponsors how many signatures are needed in each district.
Can Utah voters repeal a law by referendum?
A referendum lets voters approve or reject an existing law, rather than propose a new one. Utah’s official instructions say a law passed by a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate is not subject to referendum; other laws are generally subject to the process. Sponsors file an application after the legislative session, submit the law being challenged, circulate petition packets, and submit signatures for verification.
For the 2026 statewide cycle, a referendum requires signatures equal to 8% of active statewide voters and district thresholds in 15 of Utah’s 29 Senate districts. As with initiatives, the published percentages use active-voter figures dated January 1, 2025; consult the current official threshold table for exact counts. If the petition is declared sufficient, the question goes to voters, who decide whether to approve or reject the law.
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For either statewide route, passage depends on a majority of votes cast on that measure or question—not a majority of everyone registered or eligible to vote. County results are canvassed, and the State Board of Canvassers certifies statewide results. After certification, the governor issues a proclamation.
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That vote and proclamation do not establish one universal effective date for every measure. The date is governed by the applicable statute and may depend on the measure’s terms, including a later date written into it or tax-related provisions. Confirm the controlling statutory rule for the specific measure before stating when it takes effect.
How do local Utah ballot measures differ?
Local initiatives and referenda are governed by separate parts of Utah election law. Signature requirements depend on the jurisdiction’s active-voter total and classification, and some local rules also account for voter-participation areas. Election timing and effective-date rules can differ from the statewide process as well.
For a city or county petition, contact the relevant municipal or county clerk and consult the current official threshold table. Do not use the statewide 8% or 4% figures as a local requirement.
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