SALT LAKE CITY — Union members carried box after box after box of referendum signature packets into the Salt Lake County Clerk's Office.
"The people have spoken yet again!" one man shouted as he placed a box on a cart.
In all, unions backing the referendum said they gathered more than 320,000 signatures across the state over the past month, more than double the 143,000 required. They are confident they will meet the intricate legal thresholds to force the referendum on the ballot, challenging the Utah State Legislature's law that bans public employee unions from collective bargaining.
It may be the single largest signature count for a referendum in state history.
"It’s a game changer," said Nancy Diaz Bashor, a member of the Teamsters Local 222 who gathered signatures. "I'm just so excited!"
Kevin Murray, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said he was stunned by the outpouring of support from the public.
"It's a humbling thing to have this many members of the community come out and support us," he said.
Even Governor Spencer Cox seemed impressed by the signature count.
"I think that’s great," he said when told by FOX 13 News of the referendum signature count. "They’ll go through the process and then the people will get to decide. I think that’s a healthy part of our constitution."
County clerks across Utah will now have 21 days to validate the signatures. To qualify for the ballot, organizers must meet a legal threshold of 8% of signatures in 15 of Utah's 29 state senate districts. Referendum opponents then get 45 days to persuade people to fill out an affidavit to remove their signature, based off of validated signatures that are posted publicly.
"It’s an impressive number," said Kevin Greene, the head of Americans for Prosperity Utah, which has run an opposition campaign against the referendum. "For us who are in opposition, it’s going to come down to where those signatures are."
Greene told FOX 13 News he and others will be mobilizing volunteers to try to persuade people to remove their signatures. Opponents have put up billboards and run radio and social media ads against the referendum.
"Utah taxpayer dollars are being used to fund unions that are shaping education policy instead of parents. We support kids, not unions—and we believe the majority of Utahns agree," said Corinne Johnson, the president of Utah Parents United, another opponent of the referendum.
But supporters said they believe people knew what they signed and would resist removing their signatures. They also believe if it qualifies for the ballot, voters will ultimately support the referendum.
"I want them to continue supporting public workers," said Jessica Stauffer, a nurse and president of CWA 7765. "I want them to realize how many of there are within this state and how their day-to-day lives run because of public workers."
It could be late May or early June by the time the public knows if the referendum qualifies for the ballot. If it does, voters will decide in 2026 or earlier if Gov. Cox calls a special election.
