The referendum to overturn Utah's controversial anti-union law, HB267, has secured enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.
According to numbers released Monday morning, the referendum has obtained the required verified signatures in 15 state Senate districts and met the statewide threshold for ballot placement.
To qualify for the ballot, a referendum needs signatures from 8% of registered voters statewide and in 15 of Utah’s 29 state Senate districts.
Protect Utah Workers, a coalition of labor organizations behind the referendum effort, initially submitted petitions with more than 320,000 signatures.
With thousands of signatures remaining to be verified, it’s possible more Senate districts could cross the 8% threshold before the May 7 deadline. Ten more Senate districts have verified at least half of the required number of signatures, with three of those at 75% or more.
However, the process is far from over. Voters who signed the petition have a 30-day window to remove their signature from the list once it is verified. Any Senate district that drops below the 8% threshold from voters removing their signatures would no longer qualify.
Once that timeframe ends, if the referendum still has enough signatures, the law goes on hold until voters decide whether to keep or overturn it in the next statewide election — most likely in 2026.
HB267 blocks public employee labor unions from collectively bargaining with employers over wages and benefits.
