Respect Proposition 4: Draw Fair Maps & Oppose Rule Changes
Utah voters created an independent redistricting commission through Proposition 4 to ensure fair, transparent, and accountable map-drawing. The commission established clear standards for how districts should be drawn: equal population, keeping cities and counties whole, compactness, respect for natural boundaries, no partisan gerrymandering, and transparency.
In August 2025, the courts restored Prop 4’s protections, ruling that lawmakers cannot overturn voter-approved reforms. Lawmakers must vote on a new congressional map by October 6 and submit it to the court. Additional hearings may follow, but a final map must be in place by November 10.
But instead of complying, Utah lawmakers are rushing through legislation that would gut Proposition 4’s anti-gerrymandering protections by using only one statistical test. After courts said “follow Prop 4,” their first move is to change the rules instead of complying.
Proposition 4 requires “measures” (plural) of partisan symmetry using “best available methods.” This bill by Senator Brady Brammer cherry-picks the one test that makes Utah’s 4-0 Republican gerrymander appear mathematically “fair.” Utahns deserve districts that reflect real communities, not maps engineered to protect incumbents or one party’s power.
Thanks to @elevate_utah for their collaboration on this issue.
Contacts for this topic:
Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].
I’m calling about Utah’s redistricting process. I urge you to follow all of the independent commission’s redistricting standards when drawing new maps, and to oppose Senator Brammer’s partisan bias test bill.
Please respect the court’s ruling, meet the redistricting deadlines, oppose this bill that cherry-picks one fairness test, and ensure our maps use the comprehensive standards voters approved.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
OPTIONAL: Talking Points You Can Add or Swap In
- On comprehensive standards: Prop 4 requires multiple fairness standards: equal population, keeping cities and counties whole, compactness, respect for natural boundaries, no partisan gerrymandering, and transparency. All of these should be followed to the best of our ability.
- On multiple tests: Prop 4 is clear about using ‘measures’—that’s plural—of partisan symmetry, not just one test as outlined in Brady Brammer’s bill.
- On changing rules after court loss: Don’t change the rules after losing in court, that’s defying the law, not following it. The court told you what to do, and your response shouldn’t be to rewrite the requirements.
- On respecting voter intent: Utahns voted for this redistricting process in 2018. The Legislature should not override what voters specifically asked for, especially when the courts have confirmed our right to fair maps.
- On court appeals: The court was clear: comply by November 10. Please don’t waste taxpayer dollars on delays, appeals, or legal games. Just follow through on what you’ve been ordered to do.
- On supporting better alternatives: Instead of using solely the partisan bias test, please support Senator Luz Escamilla’s bill for ensemble analysis and multiple other tests. That’s what ‘best available methods’ actually means—using the tools that give us the most accurate picture.
If You Can’t Answer a Technical Question: “I’m just a voter telling you what I want: fair maps that follow Prop 4 as written. You’ve got the staff and resources to figure out the technical details.”
